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.
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.
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.
“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.
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.
