# North Sea collision: Russian container ship captain charged with manslaughter

## UK news

### North Sea collision: Russian container ship captain charged with manslaughter

Vladimir Motin was in charge of the container ship the Solong when it hit a tanker off East Yorkshire coast, leaving one man dead.

Vladimir Motin was in charge of the container ship the Solong when it hit a tanker off East Yorkshire coast, leaving one man dead.

The Crown Prosecution Service said that a Filipino national, Mark Angelo Pernia, 38, died after the collision between Motin’s vessel and the Stena Immaculate. Motin, of Primorsky, St Petersburg, Russia, will appear at Hull magistrates court on Saturday, Humberside police said.

A statement from the force said: “An investigation by Humberside police supported by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) into the collision between a tanker and a cargo vessel in the North Sea, off the coast of East Yorkshire, has resulted in a man being charged.

“The captain of the Solong vessel, Vladimir Motin, 59 years old, of Primorsky, St Petersburg, Russia, has been charged with gross negligence manslaughter and been remanded in police custody to appear at Hull magistrates court tomorrow.

“On Monday, 10 March, Humberside police received a report at around 11am that a collision had occurred between the two vessels, resulting in one crew member being reported missing.

“Extensive searches were carried out by HM Coastguard to locate the missing crew member, now presumed deceased. The family are being supported by specialist trained officers and our thoughts remain with them at this difficult time.”

The vessel hit a US-flagged tanker, the Stena Immaculate, carrying jet fuel for the American military, which was anchored while waiting for space at a port in the Humber, having travelled from the Peloponnese region of Greece.

The Solong was sailing from Grangemouth in Scotland to Rotterdam in the Netherlands at a speed of about 16 knots, equivalent to 18mph, when it collided with the tanker.

Both vessels caught fire after several explosions and 36 crew were rescued, including Americans onboard the Stena Immaculate and members of the Russian and Filipino crew of the Solong.

Earlier on Friday, the chief coastguard, Paddy O’Callaghan, said both vessels were “stable” and salvors had boarded them to continue damage assessments.

He said: “There are now only small periodic pockets of fire on the Solong which are not causing undue concern.

“Specialist tugs with firefighting capability remain at both vessels’ locations.

“Regular aerial surveillance flights continue to monitor the vessels and confirm that there continues to be no cause for concern from pollution from either the Stena Immaculate or from the Solong.”
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