North Sea crash: Tanker and cargo ship had no ‘lookouts’ – report

An oil tanker and cargo ship that crashed in the North Sea did not have “dedicated lookouts” in what were “patchy conditions”, maritime investigators have found.

The Stena Immaculate, a US-registered tanker, was anchored 16 miles off the East Yorkshire coast when it was hit by the Portuguese-flagged Solong on 10 March.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch has released an interim report into the incident, which resulted in fires and a rescue operation which saved 36 crew from both vessels.

One crewman, Mark Pernia, is missing and presumed dead. The Solong’s Russian captain, Vladimir Motin, 59, has been charged with gross negligence manslaughter, and is due to stand trial in January 2026.