Fire ravaged North Sea cargo ship to arrive in Aberdeen this week

The Solong and the Stena Immaculate collided in the North Sea two weeks ago.

By Ross Hempseed

March 25 2025, 9:16 pm

The Solong which was badly damaged by fire. Image: Danny Lawson/PA Wire

A cargo ship involved in a collision with an oil tanker in the North Sea will be towed to the Port of Aberdeen.

The Portuguese-flagged Solong and the US-registered tanker Stena Immaculate collided off the coast of East Yorkshire on March 10.

The collision caused significant damage to both vessels, triggering fires that have since been extinguished.

A crew member of the Solong, a Filipino national, is missing and presumed dead, while the ship’s Russian captain is charged with gross negligence manslaughter.

To get a fuller assessment of the damage, the Solong is being towed to the Port of Aberdeen.

The MV Stena Immaculate which was also involved in the collision. Image: Danny Lawson/PA Wire

The Coastguard confirmed that the vessel, which was being hauled by a tug, would arrive at the Scottish port “later this week”.

Chief Coastguard Paddy O’Callaghan said: “Salvage of the Solong has progressed to enable its relocation to the Port of Aberdeen for safe berthing.

“Solong will be under tow by one tug and accompanied by another tug, plus a vessel with counter pollution measures should they be required.

“Tug and tow are scheduled to arrive at Aberdeen later this week.”

Fire-damaged cargo ship to arrive in Aberdeen later this week

He also said the salvage operation onboard the Stena Immaculate was ongoing.

A spokesperson for Ernst Russ AG, the company that owns the Solong, said it would be “fully assessed by specialist marine assessors and insurers” after it arrives in Aberdeen.

In a statement to the BBC, they said: “We are very aware of the efforts and assistance from all those acting in the response.

“We want to thank everyone who has responded urgently and gallantly to this incident.”

The Solong suffered extensive fire damage which took a week to extinguish. Image: Danny Lawson/PA Wire

The fire severely damaged the ship, releasing some cargo into the water, including plastic pellets known as nurdles, which have since washed up onshore.

A total of 36 crew members were rescued from both ships. One sailor from the Solong, Filipino national Mark Angelo Pernia, 38, is missing and presumed dead.

The Solong’s captain, Vladimir Motin, has been charged with gross negligence manslaughter.

The 59-year-old from Primorsky, St Petersburg, Russia, is due to stand trial in January 2026.