CNN
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The captain of the Solong cargo ship who was arrested after crashing into an oil tanker off the coast of England is a Russian national, the ship’s owner Ernst Russ said Wednesday.
British police on Tuesday opened a criminal investigation into the crash and arrested a 59-year-old man on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter.
A spokesperson for Ernst Russ told CNN that the arrested man is the captain of the Solong and that he is a Russian national.
“The master and our entire team are actively assisting with the investigations,” the spokesperson said.
The Solong careered into the US-flagged Stena Immaculate on Monday, setting fire to both vessels and prompting an emergency rescue effort by the British coastguard.
One member of the Solong is presumed dead but the 13 other members of its crew were safe and accounted for, according to Mike Kane, Britain’s maritime minister. The full 23-person crew of the Stena Immaculate – which was carrying 220,000 barrels of jet fuel – were also rescued, he said.