Doha: 32 people were injured in a collision between an oil tanker and a cargo ship in the North Sea off the British coast. A spokeswoman for the Swedish company that owns the US-flagged oil tanker MV Stena Immaculate said that all crew members are alive.

According to Qatar News Agency, she added that the tanker was exposed to an explosion in a cargo tank containing Jet-A1 fuel, a kerosene fuel compatible with most jet aircraft, when the cargo ship collided with it. This collision caused a fire and multiple explosions on board, with the fuel leaking into the sea.

The ship tracking website Vesselfinder reported that the oil tanker, believed to be carrying chemicals and petroleum products, was anchored at the time after sailing from Greece. Meanwhile, the cargo ship Solong, which flies the Portuguese flag and is owned by a German company, was sailing from Grangemouth in Scotland on its way to Rotterdam in the Netherlands.

The British Coastguard confirmed that the collision was reported off the coast of Yorkshire, and that work is underway to determine the risks of pollution.