Dramatic mayday call reveals moment jet fuel tanker and cargo vessel crews abandon ship

A desperate mayday call shows the moment crews abandoned ship after an oil tanker collided with a cargo vessel in the North Sea.

32 casualties have been brought to shore after the oil tanker MV Stena Immaculate was struck by container ship MV Solong while anchored off the Humber Estuary this morning.

The oil tanker is now on fire, with firefighters, HM Coastguard and Royal National Lifeboat Institution on the scene.

Dramatic footage shows the moment the alarm was raised at 9.48am.

The SOS call begins with a Humber Coastguard official announcing the coordinates of the collision.

He then adds: ‘Solong has collided with Tanker Stena Immaculate in the outer anchorage.

‘Both vessels are abandoning. Vessels who have firefighting equipment or who can assist with search and rescue contact Humber Coastguard.

‘Vessel Stena Immaculate is carrying Jet A 1 fuel which is on fire and in the water’.

An HM Coastguard spokesperson said of the incident: ‘HM Coastguard is currently co-ordinating the emergency response to reports of a collision between a tanker and cargo vessel off the coast of East Yorkshire.

‘The alarm was raised at 9.48am.

‘A Coastguard rescue helicopter from Humberside was called, alongside lifeboats from Skegness, Bridlington, Maplethorpe and Cleethorpes, an HM Coastguard fixed wing aircraft, and nearby vessels with fire-fighting capability.

‘The incident remains ongoing.’

A mayday call is the international signal to notify life-threatening distress.

They are limited to use in the case of ‘grave and imminent danger to a vessel or persons, such as fire, sinking, man overboard etc.’

In a number of countries, anyone making a false mayday call could be prosecuted under criminal law.

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