Tanker collision details revealed by crew member who says vessel rammed ship “out of the blue”

London — An American man who said he was among the crew on the MV Stena Immaculate tanker when it was hit Monday by a cargo ship, causing both vessels to burst into flames off England’s east coast, told CBS News the other ship “came from out of the blue” and rammed the Stena.

The man, who asked to remain anonymous because he wasn’t permitted to speak with media about the crash, said the Stena had been anchored on the spot where the collision occurred and had relayed its coordinates, meaning all other vessels in the area should have known its position.

He said he was near to the part of the Stena Immaculate where the Portugal-flagged container ship Solong made its impact, and that he had only seconds to react when he heard shouts to brace before impact. Then, all of a sudden, he said “a massive ship came from out of the blue.”

The man said the Solong didn’t immediately stop after smashing into the Stena, and that it felt like it continued to drive into the ship for about 10 minutes after the initial impact. The man said other crew members on the Stena, which was apparently carrying jet fuel for the U.S. military, described how it appeared as though nobody was on the bridge of the Solong at the moment of the crash.

Flames erupted from the Stena and the crew immediately jumped into action, the man said. He said they put on protective gear and tried to fight the fire, but quickly determined it wouldn’t be possible and decided to abandon ship.

Crew members went to their rooms to gather essential belongings, also grabbing life jackets and emergency gear. They then went to the mustering point and sounded off. When all had been accounted for, they entered the lifeboat, and mustered again. When it was verified that everyone was onboard the lifeboat, they launched. The captain was the last person to leave the Stena, he said.

The man described flames lapping at the crew as they boarded the lifeboat, and said some of the sailors even had singed hair because the fire was so close. He said they couldn’t have waited any longer to get off the vessel, and the whole incident from impact to evacuation lasted about 30 minutes.

The man said the crew had been trained for disasters like this, and that everything from the moment of impact to the evacuation had been “textbook” and carried out according to procedure.

A U.S. official confirmed to CBS News national defense correspondent Charlie D’Agata on Monday that the Stena was carrying cargo in support of the U.S. Department of Defense, but they said the incident would not impact U.S. military operations or combat readiness.

What is the latest on the cargo ship crash?

CBS News’ partner network BBC News said it had received a statement from a spokesperson for Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office Tuesday, saying they “understand there doesn’t appear to be any suggestions of foul play at this time” related to the collision of the two vessels about 10 miles off the East Yorkshire coast. 

There were ongoing concerns Tuesday, as the Solong continued to burn, about the potential environmental impact of the incident, but one of the worst fears — that the Portuguese-flagged vessel could have been carrying a highly toxic chemical — appeared to be put to rest.

“We are able to confirm that there are no containers on board ladened with sodium cyanide, as has been misreported,” the Solong’s operator, international shipping firm Ernst Russ, told CBS News in a statement. 

The company said there were “four empty containers that have previously contained the hazardous chemical, and these containers will continue to be monitored.”

British Chief Coastguard Pat O’Callaghan said in a statement Tuesday that while the Solong was still burning, it had separated from the Stena, and the fire on the U.S.-contracted vessel “has greatly diminished.”

“The Counter Pollution and Salvage Team is assessing the situation and is developing a plan ready for implementation as soon as the situation allows,” OCallaghan said, adding that Britain’s environmental agency was “monitoring the situation closely and has confirmed that air quality at ground level is currently within normal levels for the weather conditions.”

He said the U.K. Health Security Agency was also “assisting in the response, and has advised that any public health risk on shore is currently deemed to be very low.”