Humberside Police in the UK recently announced the arrest of a 59-year-old male crew member on charges of "gross negligence manslaughter." The arrested individual is associated with the Portuguese cargo ship "Solong," which, traveling at 16 knots in thick fog, suddenly appeared and collided directly with the fuel tank on the starboard side of the anchored US military oil tanker "Stena Immaculate," causing a chain of explosions.

Police stated that the oil tanker crew described the cargo ship as "appearing out of nowhere," while preliminary investigations revealed that the "Solong's" Automatic Identification System (AIS) was abnormally shut off 15 minutes before the collision, heightening suspicions of human error. Currently, the missing Portuguese ship's captain is presumed dead, and the criminal investigation is focusing on the compliance of navigation operations and the crew's emergency response.

Dual Ecological Catastrophe: 18,000 Tons of Jet Fuel + 15 Containers of Sodium Cyanide Tear Through the North Sea (Other reports mention 4 empty containers that previously held this hazardous chemical).

The accident has triggered the most severe marine pollution crisis in UK history:

Jet Fuel Leak: The US military oil tanker was carrying 18,000 tons of Jet-A aviation fuel (equivalent to 220,000 barrels), which continues to burn, forming a 2-kilometer wall of fire. Carcinogenic benzene compounds are spreading across an 0.8-square-kilometer area, threatening the Dutch coastline.

Sodium Cyanide Time Bomb: The cargo ship's 15 containers of sodium cyanide can release deadly hydrogen cyanide gas upon contact with water. Toxicology experts warn that a leak could devastate shellfish farming within a 3-kilometer radius, with ecological recovery taking at least a decade.

The UK Environment Agency has urgently deployed oil containment booms, and Navy divers are risking their lives to assess the cargo hold's integrity. Greenpeace estimates that North Sea fisheries could suffer a 30% reduction in yield due to this incident.

US Military Supply Chain Disruption: NATO Base Fuel Supply in Crisis

The involved oil tanker is a core asset of the US military's "Tanker Security Program," originally scheduled to deliver Jet-A fuel to the US military base at RAF Croughton in the UK for use by critical equipment such as F-35 fighter jets and AWACS aircraft. This accident not only resulted in the destruction of a 50,000-ton strategic oil tanker but also forced the US military to face a double blow:

Military Operations Hindered: The aviation fuel reserve gap for US forces stationed in the UK has widened, potentially affecting NATO joint exercises and readiness.

Sky-High Compensation: Over $200 million in environmental cleanup costs will exacerbate the Pentagon's financial pressure.

The International Maritime Organization has convened an emergency meeting to revise fog navigation safety standards. Shipping analyst Peter Sand noted, "This accident exposes systemic flaws in coastal route crew training and emergency response systems. The industry must comprehensively upgrade technology, management, and regulations."

Rescued crew members recalled that the explosion's heat wave melted their workwear, and the sea temperature was only -5°C when they jumped into the water to escape. Helicopter rescue pilots described visibility over the fire sea as less than 50 meters, calling it the "most dangerous mission of their careers."