What led to the fatal ship collision in the North Sea?

The collision happened when the container ship Solong, under the sole watch of Captain Vladimir Motin, crashed into the anchored oil tanker Stena Immaculate.

Who was killed in the ship collision?

Filipino crew member Mark Angelo Pernia, who was working at the bow of the Stena Immaculate, was killed instantly in the resulting fireball.

What caused the deadly fireball after the ship collision?

The Stena Immaculate was carrying aviation fuel, which ignited upon impact with the Solong, causing a massive and deadly blaze.

Home / Crime and Justice / Captain Found Guilty in Fatal Ship Collision

Captain Found Guilty in Fatal Ship Collision

2 Feb

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Summary

Russian captain convicted of manslaughter for ship collision.
Collision caused deadly fireball, killing one crew member.
Ship was carrying aviation fuel, leading to a massive blaze.

Captain Found Guilty in Fatal Ship Collision

A Russian captain, Vladimir Motin, has been found guilty of manslaughter by gross negligence after his container ship collided with an American oil tanker in the North Sea. The incident occurred on March 10 last year when Motin was solely in charge of the Solong and crashed into the anchored Stena Immaculate.

The collision ignited the Stena Immaculate's cargo of aviation fuel, creating a deadly fireball that killed Filipino crew member Mark Angelo Pernia. His body was never recovered, and he left behind a young child and a second child born posthumously.

Prosecutors stated that the Stena Immaculate was visible on the Solong's radar for 36 minutes before impact, yet Motin failed to alter course, slow down, sound alarms, or initiate a crash stop. The Solong was en route to Rotterdam from Grangemouth, carrying spirits and hazardous substances.