EMEA News
Video Footage Suggests Fog Hid MV Stena Immaculate Before North Sea Allision
Video footage from Orca AI's lookout unit, mounted on the nearby tanker Ionic Aspis, indicates that dense fog may have been a key factor in the North Sea allision, likely reducing visibility and contributing to the collision.
The footage suggests that the crew of the feeder containership MV Solong may not have been able to see the tanker MV Stena Immaculate with the naked eye before impact, Orca AI said in an email statement on Wednesday.
Two separate video recordings captured the incident: one from daylight cameras, showing MV Solong approaching, and another from thermal cameras, which recorded the explosion as it struck MV Stena Immaculate.
The allision occurred on Monday morning off the coast of East Yorkshire, UK. At the time, MV Stena Immaculate, which was carrying jet fuel, was anchored.
"This video footage clearly shows the context of the accident, that is the fog conditions at the time, while the moment of impact is also shown clearly, Yarden Gross, CEO of Orca AI, said.
"This week's collision is another stark reminder of the fragility of maritime navigation. Despite technological advancements, crews still rely heavily on traditional navigation tools that struggle with target detection in low visibility conditions, rough weather, and dense fog."
Gross argues that crew fatigue is a major concern that heightens the risk of human error and must be addressed.
Orca AI has handed over the video footage to the UK investigating authorities.
