LONDON, March 10. /TASS/. Aviation fuel leaked from the Stena Immaculate tanker after it was rammed by Solong container vessel in the North Sea off the UK coast, Crowley Maritime, a US maritime logistics company and the tanker operator, said.

"At approximately 10 a.m. UTC / 5 a.m. EST on March 10, 2025, while anchored off the North Sea coast near Hull, United Kingdom, the Crowley-managed tanker Stena Immaculate was struck by the container ship Solong," the statement reads. "The Stena Immaculate sustained a ruptured cargo tank containing Jet-A1 fuel due to the allision. A fire broke out as a result, and fuel was released. The crew abandoned the vessel following multiple explosions onboard. All Crowley mariners are safe and accounted for."

According to videos aired live by British TV channels, both vessels are on fire. They are at a distance of some ten nautical miles (18.5 kilometers) off the coast.

Sky News reported earlier that 32 people were rescued and taken to hospitals. It is not yet known whether all Solong crew members have managed to reach the coast.

The TV channel suggests that the tanker might have been used to deliver fuel to US military bases in the UK. Reuters said later that the tanked was not fully loaded.