Connect with us

Published

on

The arrested captain of the Solong – the container ship involved in the crash in the North Sea – is a Russian national, the vessel’s owner has said.

The rest of the crew were Russian and Filipino nationals, according to German shipping company Ernst Russ.

It comes after police said a man had been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter in connection with Monday’s collision.

Map

Humberside Police said a 59-year-old is in custody to allow enquiries to take place, and officers are talking to those involved to find out what happened.

The force added investigators have started a criminal probe into the cause of the collision between the US-registered Stena Immaculate and the Portuguese-flagged Solong about 13 miles off the coast of East Yorkshire on Monday, and are working with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

The tanker was carrying Jet-A1 fuel for the US Navy as part of a United States government programme designed to supply American armed forces with fuel when required, a military spokesman told Reuters.

On Monday, maritime security sources told Reuters there was no indication of any malicious activity or other actors involved in the incident and UK authorities have also said they have so far found no evidence of foul play in the crash.

Humberside detectives are working with the UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch, and it’s been reported that authorities from the US and Portugal will lead the investigation into what happened.

The Stena Immaculate, operated by US firm Crowley, was stationary and at anchor while waiting for a berth to become available at the Port of Killingholme, on the River Humber, when it was struck by the smaller Solong, causing huge fires and explosions – the smoke from which was visible from space.

The Solong had been sailing from Grangemouth in Scotland to Rotterdam in the Netherlands at the time. It was initially feared it was carrying sodium cyanide but the German owner Ernst Russ said four containers on the vessel had previously been carrying the chemical.

Pic: AP/Dan Kitwood/Pool
Image:
Pic: AP/Dan Kitwood/Pool

The Solong cargo ship.
Pic: AP/Dan Kitwood/Pool
Image:
The Solong after the collision.
Pic: AP/Dan Kitwood/Pool

One missing, presumed dead

One person remains missing and is presumed dead.

In the immediate aftermath of the collision, dozens of people were forced to abandon the vessels as they caught fire.

Coastguard rescued 36 people after the alarm was raised at 9.48am on Monday, with ambulances lining up at a nearby port as emergency services readied their response.

All 23 people on board the oil tanker Stena Immaculate were accounted for, but one of the 14 crew members of the Solong is still missing.

A search for them was called off Monday evening.

👉 Listen to Sky News Daily on your podcast app 👈

Solong failed safety checks

It has emerged that the Solong failed steering-related safety checks last year.

Port state control (PSC) inspection documents from July last year show how officials warned that the ship’s “emergency steering position communications/compass reading” was “not readable”.

It was among 10 issues highlighted during an inspection by Irish officials.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

How did ships collide in the North Sea?

Other issues included the alarms being “inadequate”, survival craft not being properly maintained and fire doors “not as required”.

Another inspection, this time in Scotland in October 2024, found two issues with the Solong.

One of these was related to lifebuoys, warning they were “not properly marked”.

PSC inspections, which are carried out around the world, aim to verify that a vessel’s condition and equipment meet international regulations.

Environmental impact not as severe as initially feared

The Stena Immaculate had been carrying 220,000 barrels of jet fuel in 16 segregated cargo tanks – at least one of which “was ruptured” during the collision, shipping company Crowley said.

But it added that the jet fuel spill was having a “limited” impact.

The potential environmental impact seems to be less severe than initially feared.

Read more from Sky News:
Ukraine accepts US ceasefire deal
The furious rise of climate whiplash
Trump’s aluminium and tariffs steel take effect

Most of the spilt jet fuel has evaporated or burned off, Crowley said in an X post. There seems to have been no loss of engine fuel from either vessel and both are expected to remain afloat despite a gaping hole in the side of the Stena Immaculate and earlier fears the Solong would sink.

There are no visible flames on either ship, and the Solong, which was drifting, has now been secured by tugs.

The chief executive for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), Virginia McVea, said on Wednesday morning: “There have been no further reports of pollution to the sea from either vessel beyond what was observed during the initial incident. HM Coastguard’s counter pollution and salvage team has a comprehensive counter pollution response in place should it be required. Salvors also have equipment and personnel ready to respond to any pollution.

“The overarching objective is to protect the public and the environment to the best of our ability, during this ongoing incident response.

“This morning’s assessment shows the fires on board the [Solong] have greatly reduced in their extent and intensity.

“The Stena Immaculate remains at anchor, with safety tugs in position should they be required. There are no visible flames on board and an on-board assessment may be carried out later today.

“Salvors will only board the vessels when it is safe to do so. Only then will it be possible to carry out comprehensive damage assessments.”

Continue Reading

World

Pakistan: Hostages killed after separatist militants hijack train carrying hundreds of passengers

Published

on

By

Pakistan: Hostages killed after separatist militants hijack train carrying hundreds of passengers

Hostages have been killed after separatist militants hijacked a train carrying hundreds of passengers in Pakistan, authorities have said.

The Pakistan military (ISPR) said 21 hostages were killed, as well as four security force soldiers, on the train that was carrying more than 400 people.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attack and said they had killed 50 people.

A Pakistani government spokesman described the attack as “an act of terrorism,” and passengers who had been freed described how gunfire was “coming from everywhere”.

ISPR director general Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry added in a statement: “Today we freed a large number of people, including women and children. The final operation was carried out with great care.”

A soldier stands guard next to a rescue train after the hijack by separatist militants. Pic: Reuters
Image:
A soldier stands guard next to a rescue train after the hijack by separatist militants. Pic: Reuters

The train was hijacked on Tuesday as it entered a tunnel in Bolan, a district in the southwestern province of Balochistan.

The Jaffar Express was packed with 440 people, including women and children, Mr Chaudhry told local broadcaster Dunya TV.

He added that “militants were in touch with their handlers and masterminds in Afghanistan via satellite phones” during the incident.

Passengers rescued by security forces from a passenger train attacked by insurgents arrive at a railway station in Quetta, Pakistan, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Arshad Butt)
Image:
Passengers rescued by security forces from the hijacked train. Pic: AP

The train was on a 1,000-mile journey from Quetta to the city of Peshawar.

Militants blew up the railway tracks before firing at the train, killing the driver and trapping it inside a tunnel at Mashkaf.

Security forces exchanged gunfire with the militants who were wearing vests loaded with explosives.

The train was hijacked as it entered a tunnel in Bolan, Pakistan
Image:
The train was hijacked as it entered a tunnel in Bolan, Pakistan

‘God saved us’

Noor Muhammad, who was travelling with his wife, said: “First, they hit the engine with an RPG (rocket-propelled grenade).

“After that, gunfire started and explosions were heard, RPGs were used. God saved us.

“They made us get off (the train) and told us to get down or they would shoot. We got down and then they said ‘leave’.”

Read more from Sky News:
Arrested captain of crashed ship is Russian national
Children under eight ‘should avoid drinking slushies’

Passengers rescued by security forces from a passenger train attacked by insurgents comfort each other upon their arrival at a railway station in Quetta, Pakistan, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Arshad Butt)
Image:
Officials said a large number of the hostages had been rescued. Pic: AP

Bashir Yousaf, who was with his family, said: “Everyone was crying and passengers were shouting, everyone was lying on the floor trying to save their lives.

“The sound of gunfire was coming from everywhere, then they (insurgents) told us to get down.

“After getting off we were told not to look back. I just kept walking without looking back to save my family’s lives.”

A paramilitary soldier takes position at a railway station near the attack site of a passenger train by insurgents, in Mushkaf in Bolan district of Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo)
Image:
A soldier keeps watch near to the scene of the hijacked train. Pic: AP

Mr Chaudhry added to Dunya TV that security forces “first took out some of the militants and then began clearing compartment by compartment killing the militants”.

He said the total number of militants was 33, and added that no passenger was hurt or killed during rescue operations.

However, he added that before “the final clearance,” 21 people were killed by the militants. Four Frontier Corps soldiers were also killed.

“Perpetrators will be hunted down and will be brought to justice,” he said. “This incident of the Jaffar Express changes the rules of the game.”

Paramilitary soldiers and police officers deploy at a railway station near the attack site of a passenger train by insurgents, in Mushkaf in Bolan district of Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo)
Image:
Soldiers and police have been deployed at sites close to the hijacking. Pic AP

Earlier in the day, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack and said security officials were “repelling” the militants, while interior minister Mohsin Naqvi called the attackers “enemies” of the country.

The BLA – designated a terrorist organisation by the UK – had demanded the release of Baloch political prisoners, activists, and missing persons within 48 hours.

It had threatened to start executing the hostages if the government did not fulfil its demands.

The group often targets infrastructure and security forces in Balochistan but has also struck in other areas, including the southern port city Karachi and the strategic port of Gwadar on the Arabian Sea.

Continue Reading

World

Pakistan: Hostages killed after separatist militants hijack train carrying hundreds of passengers

Published

on

By

Pakistan: Hostages killed after separatist militants hijack train carrying hundreds of passengers

Hostages have been killed after separatist militants hijacked a train carrying hundreds of passengers in Pakistan, authorities have said.

The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attack and said they had killed 50 people on the train that was carrying more than 400.

Government officials have not confirmed how many hostages have been killed. Sarfraz Bugti, the chief minister in Balochistan province, said “we people have also been martyred, but we will share details later”.

More than 50 militants have been killed and the insurgent attack has now ended after a day-long stand-off, according to officials.

A soldier stands guard next to a rescue train after the hijack by separatist militants. Pic: Reuters
Image:
A soldier stands guard next to a rescue train after the hijack by separatist militants. Pic: Reuters

Security officials told the Associated Press news agency that more than 300 hostages had been rescued.

Pakistan’s junior interior minister Talal Chaudhry said 70 to 80 attackers had hijacked the train.

A Pakistani government spokesman described the attack as “an act of terrorism”.

Passengers who have been freed described how gunfire was “coming from everywhere”.

Passengers rescued by security forces from a passenger train attacked by insurgents arrive at a railway station in Quetta, Pakistan, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Arshad Butt)
Image:
Passengers rescued by security forces from the hijacked train. Pic: AP

The train was hijacked on Tuesday as it entered a tunnel in Bolan, a district in the southwestern province of Balochistan.

The Jaffar Express was packed with 425 people, including women and children.

The train was on a 1,000-mile journey from Quetta to the city of Peshawar.

Militants blew up the railway tracks before firing at the train, killing the driver and trapping it inside a tunnel at Mashkaf.

Security forces exchanged gunfire with the militants who were wearing vests loaded with explosives.

The train was hijacked as it entered a tunnel in Bolan, Pakistan
Image:
The train was hijacked as it entered a tunnel in Bolan, Pakistan

Passengers rescued by security forces from a passenger train attacked by insurgents comfort each other upon their arrival at a railway station in Quetta, Pakistan, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Arshad Butt)
Image:
Officials said a large number of the hostages had been rescued. Pic: AP

Noor Muhammad, who was travelling with his wife, said: “First, they hit the engine with an RPG (rocket-propelled grenade).

“After that, gunfire started and explosions were heard, RPGs were used. God saved us. They made us get off (the train) and told us to get down or they would shoot. We got down and then they said ‘leave’.”

Read more from Sky News:
Arrested captain of crashed ship is Russian national
Children under eight ‘should avoid drinking slushies’

Bashir Yousaf, who was with his family, said: “Everyone was crying and passengers were shouting, everyone was lying on the floor trying to save their lives.

“The sound of gunfire was coming from everywhere, then they (insurgents) told us to get down.

“After getting off we were told not to look back. I just kept walking without looking back to save my family’s lives.”

A paramilitary soldier takes position at a railway station near the attack site of a passenger train by insurgents, in Mushkaf in Bolan district of Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo)
Image:
A soldier keeps watch near to the scene of the hijacked train. Pic: AP

Paramilitary soldiers and police officers deploy at a railway station near the attack site of a passenger train by insurgents, in Mushkaf in Bolan district of Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo)
Image:
Soldiers and police have been deployed at sites close to the hijacking. Pic AP

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack and said security officials were “repelling” the militants, while interior minister Mohsin Naqvi called the attackers “enemies” of Pakistan.

The BLA had demanded the release of Baloch political prisoners, activists, and missing persons within 48 hours.

It had threatened to start executing the hostages if the government did not fulfil its demands.

Continue Reading

World

Greenland’s slow independence party wins election in result seen as rejection of Trump’s interference

Published

on

By

Greenland's slow independence party wins election in result seen as rejection of Trump's interference

Greenland’s centre right opposition party has won the most votes in elections that will be seen as a rejection of Donald Trump’s interference in the island’s politics.

The Demokraatit party won 30% of the vote. It favours a slow move towards independence from Denmark.

On the eve of the election, its leader Jens-Frederik Nielsen had told Sky News voters should use the election to warn the US president not to meddle in their future.

He said: “I hope it sends a clear message to him that we are not for sale.

“We don’t want to be Americans. No, we don’t want to be Danes. We want to be Greenlanders. And we want our own independence in the future. And we want to build our own country by ourselves, not with his hope.”

Chairman of Demokraatit, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, center, plays guitar as he reacts during the election party at Demokraatit by cafe Killut in Nuuk, early Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (Mads Claus Rasmussen/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)
Image:
Chairman of Demokraatit, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, centre, plays guitar at an election party in Nuuk. Pic: AP

Donald Trump has been actively trying to prise Greenland away from Denmark, urging its people to determine their own future and join the United States.

A few days before they went to vote he promised “billions of dollars” in investment telling them he will “make you rich”.

More on Denmark

The intervention made the election Greenland’s most closely watched and highly charged in its history.

All its parties advocate independence but differ on how quickly it can happen.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Does Greenland want to be part of the US?

The territory’s second opposition party Naleraq made big gains in its share of the vote. It wants a swift move to independence.

One candidate, Qupanak Olsen, told Sky News Donald Trump’s interference had helped its cause.

“It’s making us aware, we are worth more than what the Danish people have been telling us for the last 300 years, maybe we can stand on our own two feet,” she said.

The party’s relative success may give Trump and its supporters hope they can do more to encourage independence in the future.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Why does Trump want Greenland?

But it’s important to stress joining the US is not a popular idea here.

Even Ms Olsen rejected any moves towards joining the US, saying Greenland would not swap 300 years of colonialism under Denmark for more of the same under the US.

There were bigger issues dominating the election for Greenlanders. Insufficient healthcare, especially for cancer treatment for instance, is a major grievance on this remote but vast island.

But for the US president this was all about his neo-imperialist ambitions, openly musing yesterday about erasing borders between the US, Canada and Greenland.

Read more on Sky News:
Russia firm on ceasefire – latest
UK ‘disappointed’ by tariffs
How Canada is defying Trump

Members of Inuit Ataqatigiit political party dance with national flags at a party after parliamentary elections in Nuuk, Greenland, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
Image:
Inuit Ataqatigiit supporters in Nuuk. Pic: AP

His brazen play for Greenland and its vast largely untapped mineral wealth did not go down well among the fiercely independent islanders.

President Trump’s unashamed meddling has baffled observers. He says Greenland is vital for America’s security, and yet the US already has military bases on its territory and has been offered the possibility of building more.

Equally, US mining companies have every right to join the effort to extract its huge mineral wealth, as Chinese, European, Canadian and Australian firms have been attempting for decades.

It is however not an easy process. Greenland’s vast size, lack of roads and Arctic climate are huge challenges.

It is as reluctant to yield its mineral riches as it seems its people are to succumb to the advances of a US president.

This election shows Donald Trump will have to try harder if he wants to win the affections of Greenland’s people and Greenland’s elusive natural bounty.

Continue Reading

Trending