Chilling video and audio of a catastrophic collision between a cargo ship and an oil tanker in the North Sea has been presented to a London court. The footage captures the moment of impact and the ensuing explosions that led to the death of a crew member.
The Collision: A Catastrophic Failure
The incident occurred at 9.47am on 10 March last year, approximately 12 miles off the coast of East Yorkshire near the Humber Estuary. The container ship Solong, under the command of its Russian captain, 59-year-old Vladimir Motin, collided with the anchored US oil tanker Stena Immaculate.
Prosecutors told the Old Bailey that Motin was the sole officer on watch duty navigating the Solong from 8am that morning. The court heard the ship was travelling on autopilot at about 16 knots. Motin had been aware of the stationary tanker via radar when it was at least nine nautical miles away and directly in his path.
According to his defence barrister, James Leonard KC, Motin had visual sight of the Stena Immaculate when about three nautical miles away. He attempted to manually change course to starboard only when one nautical mile away, but the attempt failed and the Solong did not alter course. The defence asked jurors to consider whether waiting until that point was "reasonable".
Dramatic Footage and a Fatal Consequence
Detective Constable Richard Bayley presented several clips to the court on Wednesday, 14 January 2026. One video shows the Solong smashing into the tanker, followed instantly by a loud explosion and plumes of flame engulfing both vessels.
In the audio, American crew members on the Stena Immaculate can be heard shouting in panic amid ringing alarm bells: "Holy s***... what just hit us... a container ship... this is no drill, this is no drill, fire fire fire, we have had a collision." A ship's foghorn blares repeatedly in the background.
The collision proved fatal for 38-year-old Filipino crewman Mark Angelo Pernia, who had been working at the front of the Solong. His body was never recovered. Crew members attempted to search for him but were prevented by the intense fire. Captain Motin subsequently ordered them to abandon ship.
Prosecutor Tom Little KC stated that Mr Pernia's death was "entirely avoidable". Vladimir Motin, from Primorsky, St Petersburg, has denied a charge of manslaughter.
Dangerous Cargo and Aftermath
The court heard details of the dangerous cargo both vessels were carrying, which exacerbated the crisis. The Stena Immaculate was transporting 220,000 barrels of high-grade JetA1 aviation fuel from Greece to the UK. Some of this fuel leaked after the impact.
The Solong, with 14 crew members, was mainly carrying alcoholic spirits. It also had hazardous materials on board, including empty but unclean containers that had held sodium cyanide.
The Stena Immaculate had a crew of 23. Following the collision, the stricken Solong had to be towed into the port of Aberdeen. The trial at the Old Bailey was adjourned until Thursday.
