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Six unanswered questions in North Sea oil tanker disaster… including why anti-crash systems failed & ‘foul play’ claims

AS emergency services raced to contain the huge fireball that erupted over the North Sea, mystery swirled about what could have caused the horror collision.

Steering a path through heavy fog, the container ship Solong pummelled full speed into the side of the US tanker Stena Immaculate yesterday off the coast of Yorkshire.

Burning oil tanker at sea.
X/Tessaronnews
Shocking pictures show how flames ripped through an oil tanker yesterday[/caption]
Aerial view of fire-damaged oil tanker Stena Immaculate.
BBC
Emergency services rushed to the scene[/caption]
Damaged fuel tanker in the sea.
AP
New pictures show the damage caused by the direct hit[/caption]

It has sparked a desperate battle to contain the disaster, which may yet turn into an environmental catastrophe, with both ships carrying goods that pose an immense threat to local wildlife.

Remarkably, all but one of the crew from both vessels managed to survive after a mayday call was sent out.

But as the fire continued to burn overnight, glaring questions are starting to be asked – over what could happen next, and how such a devastating collision happened in an age of cutting-edge navigation technology.

Here, we look at the questions that must be answered before we can understand what really happened.

How did the crew make it off?

Data from MarineTraffic shows that the collision between the vessels happened shortly after 9.45am.

Almost immediately, both ships’ captains ordered their crews to abandon ship.

Despite their immense size, neither ship, fortunately, had a huge number of crew members.

The Solong had 14 members on board, while the Stena Immaculate had 23 on board.

By a miracle, almost all crew members from both ships made it out alive, aside from one member of the Solong, who it is believed is lost to the North Sea.

They faced not only the cold waters of the ocean, but the raging fire and potentially toxic fumes.

It has been reported that a number of the crew had been brought ashore by a commercial catamaran, followed by a couple of harbour pilot boats.

Nonetheless, it remains unclear how almost all of the crew members were so lucky to survive such a massive collision.

Was foul play involved?

The anchored Stena Immaculate was carrying US military fuel, which has led to questions over whether the collision is an act by a hostile power.

A senior White House official has refused to rule out the possibility that the systems onboard the Solong could have been hacked, turning it into a kind of spear that was steamed directly towards the US ship.

Aerial view of the Stena Immaculate oil tanker damaged by fire.
BBC
Aerial images show the extent of damage to the North Sea vessel[/caption]
Fire and rescue vessels battling a fire on an oil tanker at sea.
Getty
Fire and rescue services attend the collision off the coast of the Humber Estuary[/caption]
Fire and rescue vessels battling a large fire on an oil tanker at sea.
Getty
The incident followed a collision between oil tanker MV Stena Immaculate and the cargo vessel MV Solong[/caption]

States such as Russia have in the past proved that they are more than capable of using cyber tactics as a threat of force.

Given how bizarre and unusual such a collision like this is, foul play is by no means implausible – especially given how direct a hit this was. 

Why didn’t the autopilot work?

The sea conditions at the time of the collision have been described as reasonable, aside from the haze and smog – but this is nothing ships can’t deal with.

The Solong is believed to have been on autopilot, but these systems are designed to spot obstacles such as other ships and correct their course in time.

Yet it remains unclear why these systems onboard the Solong didn’t work. 

When autopilot is used, a course is programmed and the ship will follow – though numerous alarms and warnings on the ship’s bridge would have sounded at the threat of a collision.

Stern view of the Stena Immaculate oil tanker in port.
PA
The Stena Immaculate oil tanker sustained a ruptured cargo tank[/caption]
Cargo ship Solong carrying containers.
VesselFinder
MV Solong was carrying highly toxic sodium cyanide[/caption]

“It seems a mystery, really, because all the vessels now have very highly sophisticated technical equipment to plot courses and to look at any obstacles or anything they’ve got to avoid,” said Martyn Boyers, the chief executive of the nearby Port of Grimsby East.

“It’s difficult to suggest what went on, other than the fact it should never have happened,” he added.

This suggests that human error could be to blame for the collision – though the idea that the crew simply ignored, or never noticed, the warnings, would be extraordinary.

How much oil will leak – and can they remove it in time?

Should all 18,000 tonnes of oil on board the Stena Immaculate leak, it would rank as one of the largest oil spills in British history.

And the rescue teams face a race against time to clean up what has already spilt, as it’s been confirmed that fuel has entered the water.

UN Maritime Security Leader Chris Reynolds has warned that crews face a “very short window” to remove the oil, before the environmental threat it poses increases.

Illustration of a vessel crash in the North Sea, showing the location of the collision and the involved ships.

He explained that any leaked oil could emulsify, reaching the coast as oil emulsion, a form of oil which could have a “devastating effect” on the wildlife.

Now that the search and rescue stage is over, crews will be focussing on this clean-up. 

However, given the relatively short distance from the coast, it may not be long until oil begins to come ashore.

What could happen to the environment? 

Scientists, conservationists, and wildlife experts are already sounding the alarm over the threat this collision poses to the environment. 

Jet fuel, which the Stena Immaculate was carrying, is more toxic to marine life than other kinds of oil, such as diesel or crude oil.

Fortunately, the chemical make up of jet fuel makes it easier for bacteria to break it down, which it is hoped will soften any impact, and avoid clogging the features of birds. 

Nonetheless, it still remains extremely toxic and poisonous – threatening the local wildlife, including seabirds, fish and seals.

The coast near the collision site is home to England’s largest gannet colony, and is also home to large colonies of puffins and grey seals, which are currently in pup-rearing season.

Conservation charities will currently be watching with bated breath to see if the disaster can be contained – and catastrophe can be avoided.

How long will it take to salvage the ships?

Questions will soon be asked over how long the remains of the vessels will be left floating before they can be safely salvaged.

Floating debris can be an extremely dangerous collision threat to passing ships, but crews face a number of factors before they can move in.

Safety is paramount, so it must be ensured that any fire is completely extinguished, which, given the nature of the fuel, is no easy task.

The force of the collision will also have severely damaged the structures of both ships, potentially leaking further fuel, and making the structures dangerous to board. 

Once the fire is out, however, the challenge of ensuring the vessels are safe remains – given the extremely toxic cargo that’s on board. 

Eventually, both ships will be salvaged and removed from the area – but just how long this will take is impossible to say.

Two RNLI crew members on the bow of a lifeboat after a rescue operation.
Getty
The RNLI took part in rescue operations that saw 32 people were reportedly brought ashore[/caption]
RNLI crew members in yellow jackets returning to the lifeboat station.
Getty
Crew members from Bridlington RNLI return to the lifeboat station after being involved in the rescue op[/caption]

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Glastonbury fans convinced legendary noughties band have signed up for festival as late announcement after tour clue

FESTIVAL goers were thrilled when the official line-up for Glastonbury was FINALLY announced, with lots of top acts set to play.

However, fans have come up with a theory about this year’s festival – and are now convinced they know who else will join the bill.

Large crowd at Glastonbury Festival in front of the Pyramid Stage.
Getty
Glastonbury will welcome some huge names this summer[/caption]
Glastonbury Festival 2025 lineup.
Instagram / @glastofest
The Glastonbury 2025 line-up was released last week[/caption]
The Wombat band photo.
Spotify
Fans think the Wombats will be heading to Worthy Farm this year[/caption]

Last week, fans went wild when it was announced that The 1975, Olivia Rodrigo, and Neil Young will all headline the famous Pyramid Stage this summer.

These huge acts will be joined by other members of music royalty, both new and old at Worthy Farm between June 25 and 29.

However, fans are still speculating there are other acts still to be released.

They are now convinced that noughties Indie band Wombats will be playing the iconic festival.

Hailing from Liverpool, the group are known for songs like Greek Tragedy and Let’s Dance to Joy Division.

It comes after the group revealed they were heading back out on tour this summer.

Discussing this on Reddit, one fan said: “Thought the Wombats be a shoo-in with their new album and them touring (playing Liverpool June 19th), wonder if a band of this size could get announced later on?”

Another agreed: “I think they’ll play Other stage first band of the festival!”

This fan added: “I’m also praying for a Wombats announcement!

“You’d think it’d be likely.”

BIG LINE-UP

The Eavis family – who’s farm the iconic festival has been held at since its creation – work hard to find the perfect blend of acts.

This year’s festival has something for everyone,which includes a mix of heavy rock, indie, rap, jazz, acoustic, or dance.

Other highlights at this year’s Glasto includes Rod Stewart, who will perform his classic tracks in the Sunday afternoon legends slot.

Loyle Carner is headlining the Other Stage on the Friday, while Charli XCX is also performing.

Olivia Rodrigo performing on stage.
Getty
Olivia Rodrigo is bringing pop-punk to Worthy Farm[/caption]

Sunday night will see dance legends The Prodigy close the Other Stage.

Raye and US rapper Doechii are also heading to Glastonbury, as are the Deftones and Amyl and the Sniffers.

Other acts performing are Ezra Collective, Noah Kahan, The Libertines, Nile Rodgers and Chic, Wolf Alice and Biffy Clyro.

Alanis Morissette, Busta Rhymes, Gracie Abrams, and Creedence Clearwater Revival’s John Fogerty are also on the bill.

Rod Stewart performing onstage at a benefit concert.
Getty
Sir Rod Stewart is in the legends slot[/caption]

Little Mix star Jade Thirlwall is performing at the event for the first time fresh from winning Best Pop Act at the Brits.

Britpop veterans Supergrass, rising star Myles Smith, indie stars Wunderhorse and Inhaler, Weezer, country star Shaboozey and noughties art rockers Franz Ferdinand are dotted around the line-up.

RUMOUR MILL

There are still some heavily rumoured names that haven’t made the cut.

Fan theories of who else could be heading to Glastonbury, have been popping up left, right and centre.

This includes Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan.

Fans are also convinced that Basement Jaxx will be add to the bill.

Neil Young performing on stage with a guitar.
Getty
Neil Young is set for a big summer here in the UK[/caption]
Matt Healy of The 1975 playing a red guitar on stage.
Getty
Matty Healy’s 1975 is headlining in the Friday night[/caption]

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Cheltenham Festival 2025 LIVE: Race results, updates and winners from Day 1

Cheltenham Festival 2025: Day One
Cheltenham Festival is upon us (Picture: Getty)

The opening day of Cheltenham Festival 2025 is here as a feast of horse racing action underway.

Day 1 brings us Champion Day with seven races taking place on the famous track with the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle raising the curtain.

Six more races will follow over the course of the afternoon, concluding with the National Hunt Chase.

Metro‘s live blog will have race results, winners and updates throughout the day across all seven races with all the latest betting tips and odds to help you bag a few winners.

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