Collision between Ships Off the Coast of England
The Russian national captain of a German-owned, Portugese-flagged ship has been arrested on a manslaughter charge after the ship collided with a U.S. government-contracted jet fuel tanker off the coast of England. A crewman is missing and presumed dead. The collision caused a fire on the tanker. The captain is held on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter. The container ship had failed safety inspections in the past. The incident raised questions about a deliberate act, but the British government leans towards an accident explanation. Environmental risks were a concern, but no significant pollution has been detected. The tanker is part of the U.S. Tanker Security Programme.