UK ship crash needs fully transparent investigation, says seafarers' union

A crash between a fuel tanker and a container ship off the English coast should be subject to a transparent and internationally coordinated investigation, a global seafarers' union said on Wednesday.

One person is presumed dead after the Solong, a Portuguese-flagged cargo ship, crashed on Monday into the Stena Immaculate, an anchored tanker that was carrying U.S. military jet fuel. The collision caused huge fires and explosions. All 36 other crew members from the vessels were brought to shore.

The International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF), the biggest seafarers' union, urged all the jurisdictions involved to cooperate to understand how the incident happened.

"There are crucial questions that remain unanswered in the wake of this tragedy, and these must be addressed through a full and transparent internationally coordinated investigations," ITF general secretary Stephen Cotton said in a statement.