A tanker and a cargo ship have collided in the North Sea off the coast of East Yorkshire, HM Coastguard has said.
An emergency operation was under way following the collision on Monday morning. A helicopter was scrambled and lifeboats launched from four different bases along the coast.
The collision, which happened in the Humber Estuary, was believed to involve a US-flagged tanker called the MV Stena Immaculate.
According to the ship tracking tool Vesselfinder, the tanker was at anchor at the time of the incident. The tanker had departed from a Greek port in the Aegean Sea and was heading towards Hull, according to the Marine Traffic website, which tracks shipping vessels.
The other vessel involved was believed to be a Portugese-flagged container-ship called the Solong, destined for Rotterdam.
More than 30 casualties have been brought ashore at Grimsby, but some crew members are yet to be accounted for, Martyn Boyers, the chief executive of the Port of Grimsby East, said.
He said 13 casualties were initially brought in on a Windcat 33 vessel, while more were brought ashore onboard a harbour pilot vessel, taking the total number to 32. The condition of the casualties remained unclear.
Boyers said he had been told there was “a massive fireball”, adding: “It’s too far out for us to see – about 10 miles – but we have seen the vessels bringing them in. They must have sent a mayday out – luckily there was a crew transfer vessel out there already.
“Since then there has been a flotilla of ambulances to pick up anyone they can find.”
“HM Coastguard is currently coordinating the emergency response to reports of a collision between a tanker and cargo vessel off the coast of East Yorkshire,” a spokesperson for HM Coastguard said.
“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 firefighting capability.”
HM Coastguard said the incident remained ongoing.
Heidi Alexander, the UK transport secretary, said: “I’m concerned to hear of the collision between two vessels in the North Sea this morning and am liaising with officials and HM Coastguard as the situation develops.
“I want to thank all emergency service workers involved for their continued efforts in responding to the incident.”