Fires Erupt After Two Ships Collide Off the Coast of Britain

Fires continued Tuesday after two ships collided off the northeastern coast of England, raising fears that the jet fuel carried by one of them and the toxic chemicals on the other could lead to an environmental disaster, according to Reuters.

The coast guard reported that the crews abandoned both ships after the incident, and 36 people were brought ashore. The search for a crew member of the Portuguese-flagged vessel “Solong” was called off on Monday.

The “Stena Immaculate” tanker, which was carrying jet fuel for the U.S. military, was anchored when it was struck by “Solong,” causing fuel to leak into the sea.

The British government said that the necessary equipment to mitigate sea pollution was in place, and its agencies were ready to act to protect the environment in the North Sea.

It clarified that the potential environmental impact was being assessed in coordination with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and an environmental group in eastern England.