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Tuesday March 11, 2025
(NEW YORK) -- A Portuguese container ship has collided with a U.S.-flagged oil tanker while the tanker was anchored in the North Sea, on the eastern coast of England, with both ships catching on fire, according to officials.
"HM Coastguard is currently co-ordinating the emergency response to reports of a collision between a tanker and cargo vessel off the coast of East Yorkshire resulting in fires aboard both vessels," the U.K. coast guard said in a statement.
The U.S. ship was identified as the Stena Immaculate, while the Portuguese-flagged container ship was identified as the Solong. Both ships were abandoned by their crews.
One of the Solong's crew members remains missing in the wake of the collision, while the other 13 have been brought safely to shore, according to Ernst Russ, the manager of the container vessel.
All crew members of Stena Immaculate have been rescued, Lena Alvling, a spokesperson for the Swedish shipowner Stena Bulk, told ABC News.
Thirty-two people were injured in the incident and transported to a nearby hospital, according to Port of Grimsby East CEO Martyn Boyers.
The incident occurred at approximately 10 a.m. UTC, while the Crowley-managed Stena Immaculate tanker was anchored about 10 miles off the North Sea coast near Hull, England, according to Crowley.
A cargo tank containing Jet-A1 fuel ruptured and multiple explosions occurred onboard the tanker, Crowley said.
Crowley is "actively working with public agencies to contain the fire and secure the vessel," the company said in a statement.
"Our first priority is the safety of the people and environment," it added.
The cause of the collision is under investigation, Boyers said.
He noted that there was likely fog in the area at the time of the incident.
A spokesperson for U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer's office said details of the collision were "still becoming clear" and did not want to speculate on the cause.
"We're obviously monitoring the situation, we'll continue to co-ordinate the response and we're grateful to emergency personnel for their continued efforts," the spokesperson said, calling it an "extremely concerning situation."
A coast guard helicopter has been sent, as well as a fixed-wing aircraft, several lifeboats and vessels with firefighting capabilities, the coast guard said.
"The incident remains ongoing and an assessment of the likely counter pollution response required is being enacted," the coast guard said in a statement.
Wildlife charity Yorkshire Wildlife Trust said it is closely following the "deeply concerning incident" to see if there is any pollution into the North Sea. The region features the Humber Estuary, home to protected bird colonies. There are also "significant numbers" of Atlantic grey seals in the area, the group said.
"If pollution spillage enters the Humber, this could potentially be devasting for the wildlife of the estuary, including important fish stocks and tens of thousands of overwintering and migrating birds who use the mud flats," Martin Slater, director of operations at the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, said in a statement.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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(NEW YORK) -- The New York Yankees' long-standing policy against facial hair has finally been cut short.
Yankees Managing General Partner Hal Steinbrenner, the son of legendary Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, shorn back the policy of having no facial hair below the lip, aka no beards, in a statement on Friday morning.
"In recent weeks I have spoken to a large number of former and current Yankees -- spanning several eras -- to elicit their perspectives on our longstanding facial hair and grooming policy, and I appreciate their earnest and varied feedback," Hal Steinbrenner said in a statement on X. "These most recent conversations are an extension of ongoing internal dialogue that dates back several years.
He continued, "Ultimately the final decision rests with me, and after great consideration, we will be amending our expectations to allow our players and uniformed personnel to have well-groomed beards moving forward. It is the appropriate time to move beyond the familiar comfort of our former policy."
George Steinbrenner instituted the policy in 1976, three years after he bought the team, when the fashion of the era saw long hair and unkempt beards became commonplace. Steinbrenner, a former member of the U.S. Air Force, did not agree with the style of the times.
Many players of the era -- such as Goose Gossage and Ron Guidry -- retained their famous mustaches.
The new policy statement from Hal Steinbrenner did not make it entirely clear what would be allowed as far as long hair.
The facial hair upkeep became a well-known policy for the Yankees with many bearded players debuting a freshly shaved face after signing with the Yankees, or being traded.
One such famous haircut was Johnny Damon. The former Red Sox outfielder who signed with the Yankees before the 2006 season, cut off his shoulder-length hair and years of beard growth to debut a look not seen in many years. Hall of Fame pitcher Randy Johnson, who was traded to the Yankees in 2005, also had to cut off his infamous long locks.
The policy again came into focus this spring training when newcomer Devin Williams shaved his beard for the first day of camp. However, he let the facial hair grow in the days after, leading some to question whether he would be forced to continue to keep a bare face.
Williams, a reliever who was acquired in an offseason trade for fan-favorite Nestor Cortes, told the Newark Star-Ledger, "I feel naked," after shaving his well-known beard.
He can now let the beard grow free. To an extent.
The Yankees play their first spring training game on Friday against the Rays.
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