Oil tanker and cargo ship on fire after colliding in North Sea off coast of East Yorkshire

A crew member remains missing after an oil tanker and cargo ship collided in the North Sea off the coast of East Yorkshire.

The RNLI mobilised multiple rescue crews to the scene after the crash was reported just before 9.50am.

A number of people abandoned the vessels following the collision around 13 miles from the coast.

One of the 14 crew members of the Solong cargo ship is still missing, according to the vessel's owner.

The rest are safely ashore, reported Hamburg-based Ernst Russ.

Solong was reportedly carrying 15 containers of sodium cyanide and an unknown quantity of alcohol, a Lloyd's List Intelligence casualty report said, according to news agency Reuters.

All those from oil tanker Stena Immaculate are said to be "safe and fully accounted for", however jet fuel has been released into the sea, according to the firm that manages the vessel.

Sky News understands there is a five-mile air and sea exclusion zone around the location of the incident, which may be widened to 10 miles if later required.

Martyn Boyers, chief executive of the Port of Grimsby East, reported dozens of casualties had been brought ashore amid reports of a "massive fireball".

Graham Stuart, MP for Beverley and Holderness, earlier said he had spoken to the transport secretary and reported one casualty in hospital with a further 36 mariners across both crews "safe and accounted for".

Alastair Smith, head of operations for Lincolnshire at East Midlands Ambulance Service, later said: "A total of 36 patients were assessed on scene by our ambulance crews and none required transporting to hospital."

In a statement, Ernst Russ stated 13 of the 14 Solong crew members had been "brought safely shore".

The firm added: "Efforts to locate the missing crew member are ongoing."

Both vessels are said to have sustained "significant damage" due to the impact of the collision and the subsequent fire.

Two maritime security sources told Reuters there was "no indication" of any malicious activity or other actors involved in the incident.

US logistics group Crowley, which manages oil tanker Stena Immaculate, confirmed the vessel had released some jet fuel after sustaining a ruptured cargo tank.

In a statement, Crowley said: "The Stena Immaculate sustained a ruptured cargo tank containing Jet-A1 fuel due to the allision (when a moving ship hits a stationary object).

"A fire occurred as a result of the allision, and fuel was reported released. The Stena Immaculate crew abandoned the vessel following multiple explosions onboard.

"All Crowley mariners are safe and fully accounted for."

The firm said it initiated its emergency vessel response plan and is "actively working with public agencies to contain the fire and secure the vessel".

Crowley added: "Our first priority is the safety of the people and environment. We will provide more updates as information becomes available."

Source: Sky News

Pic: Bartek Smialek/PA