Tanker hired by US military ablaze off UK after hit by container ship

A person walks by a sign for the Port of Grimsby, after a fuel tanker, operated by U.S. company Crowley and owned by Stena, and a container vessel named Solong were involved in a collision off the coast of northeast England, in Grimsby, Britain, March 10, 2025. REUTERS/Phil Noble

LONDON (Reuters) -A tanker carrying jet fuel for the U.S. military was hit by a container ship off northeast England on Monday, with the collision igniting a blaze on both vessels, causing multiple explosions and forcing both crews to abandon ship.

The tanker, which can carry tens of thousands of tons of jet fuel, was at anchor when the smaller container ship struck it, rupturing its cargo tank and releasing fuel into the sea, its operator said. Its owner Stena Bulk gave the same details.