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(Bloomberg) -- The captain of the Solong container ship that crashed near the UK is a Russian national, the ship’s owner said.
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The rest of the crew are a mix of Russian and Filipino, shipping company Ernst Russ AG said in a statement. Russia and the Philippines are among the world’s top providers of crew to vessels, so it’s not unusual for ships to have Russian seafarers.
The Solong crashed into an oil tanker hauling fuel for the US Navy off the coast of the UK. While there were fears the freighter would sink, it now appears likely to remain afloat. It’s being held in a safe position offshore, and the fires on board have greatly reduced, the coastguard said on Wednesday.
There’s nothing to indicate the incident is a national security issue, although it’s too early to completely rule anything out at this stage, a person familiar with the matter said, asking not to be named because they’re not authorized to comment publicly.
The arrest of the ship’s captain, announced late on Tuesday by local police, was for gross negligence manslaughter in connection with the collisions. This kind of charge suggests lack of intent. Police said Wednesday they are continuing to conduct extensive lines of inquiry.
The risk of significant environmental damage from the incident appeared to subside as the coastguard said late on Tuesday that air quality sampling onshore shows no toxins, and modeling from the Met Office indicates no threat to the public.
There have been no further reports of pollution to the sea from either vessel, beyond what was observed in the initial incident, the coastguard added on Wednesday.
Also see: Burning Ship Set to Stay Afloat Near UK as Police Make Arrest
Crowley, the company that manages the Stena Immaculate oil tanker involved in the incident, said Tuesday it remained uncertain how much fuel may have been released. The firm previously said the tanker was carrying 220,000 barrels of jet fuel in 16 segregated cargo tanks when it was struck.
“We’re not quite out of the danger zone yet, but it’s starting to look like an environmental disaster may have been narrowly averted,” said Paul Johnston, from the Greenpeace Research Laboratories. “In terms of minimizing any further risks to marine life, the priority should now be to ensure as far as possible that both ships remain afloat, that no further jet fuel leaks from the tanker and that the cargo of the container ship is fully characterized and secured.”