The White House is not ruling out foul play in a disastrous oil tanker collision in the North Sea - as the Russian captain of the other vessel is arrested for manslaughter.
One person is presumed dead as investigators probe what caused a foreign cargo ship to smash into a U.S.-flagged tanker Monday off the coast of Yorkshire, England.
The oil tanker Stena Immaculate was anchored 10 miles off the coast and was waiting for a berth on the River Humber, the ship's operator, Crowley, said.
Around 10 a.m. local time, the tanker was struck on its port side, causing "multiple explosions," Crowley said. The Stena was carrying 220,000 barrels of jet fuel, and an unknown quantity was released into the sea.
While the extent of environmental damage is unknown, Crowley said the impact appears "limited" because the fire caused the oil to evaporate. Meanwhile, the fire on board has "greatly diminished with no visible flames."
The 23 crew members on the Stena - all Americans - are accounted for, but one of the crew members on the Portuguese cargo ship Solong went missing and is presumed dead.
It is possible that foggy conditions contributed to the crash. Conditions on the North Sea were so foggy on Monday that rescuers could not "see a thing," a rescuer told the Times.
The flames were still burning on the Solong Wednesday. The German company that owns the vessel, Ernst Russ, expressed "deepest sympathy to the family of the missing crew member, mindful that the search has been called off."
The company confirmed that the ship's captain, a 59-year-old Russian national, was taken into custody - as British police said a man was under arrest for "gross negligence manslaughter."
"Following inquiries undertaken by my team, we have arrested a 59-year-old man on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter in connection with the collision," Humberside Police Chief Superintendent Craig Nicholson said.
"This follows the conclusion of search operations by HM Coastguard for the missing crew member of the Solong."
"Our thoughts are with the family of the missing crew member, and I have appointed family liaison officers to make contact and provide support to the family."
The U.K. authorities do not suspect foul play, but a senior white House official told gCaptain that the possibility is not being ruled out by the United States.
The Stena plays a role in U.S. national security as part of the Tanker Security Program, in which commercial vessels contract with the U.S. military to carry fuel when needed.
