Shocking video and audio of the moment a cargo ship smashed into a stationary oil tanker in the North Sea, triggering a huge explosion, have been played to a jury at the Old Bailey.
The Moment of Impact
The court heard that at 9.47am on 10 March last year, the container ship Solong, under the command of Russian captain Vladimir Motin, 59, collided with the anchored US oil tanker Stena Immaculate near the Humber Estuary. The footage showed the immediate aftermath: a loud explosion followed by plumes of flame and smoke engulfing both vessels.
Audio recordings captured the panic aboard the Stena Immaculate, which was carrying 220,000 barrels of jet fuel. American crew members were heard shouting, "Holy s***... what just hit us... a container ship... this is no drill, fire fire fire, we have had a collision," as alarm bells rang and a ship's foghorn sounded repeatedly.
A Crewman Lost at Sea
Captain Motin is on trial for the manslaughter of Filipino crew member Mark Angelo Pernia, 38. Mr Pernia had been working at the front of the Solong at the time of the crash and died in the incident. His body was never recovered.
Prosecutor Tom Little KC stated that Mr Pernia's death was "entirely avoidable". Crew members attempted to search for him but were unable to access parts of the blazing vessel before Motin ordered them to abandon ship.
Autopilot and a Failed Manoeuvre
The court was told that Motin was the sole officer on watch that morning. The Solong was travelling on autopilot at about 16 knots. His defence barrister, James Leonard KC, said Motin was aware of the tanker on radar at least nine nautical miles away.
According to the defence, when the Solong was approximately one nautical mile from the Stena Immaculate, Motin attempted to take the ship off autopilot to manually change course and pass behind the tanker. "There is no dispute that had he changed course in the way he intended, there would have been no collision," Mr Leonard told jurors. However, the attempt was unsuccessful and the ship did not alter course.
The barrister asked the jury to consider whether it was "reasonable" to wait until being one mile away before trying to steer clear.
The Solong, with 14 crew, was mainly carrying alcoholic spirits but also had some hazardous materials, including empty sodium cyanide containers. The Stena Immaculate had a crew of 23 and was transporting JetA1 fuel from Greece to the UK.
Vladimir Motin, from Primorsky, St Petersburg, denies the charge of manslaughter. The trial was adjourned until Thursday.
