Coastguard providing emergency response after reports of collision between oil tanker and cargo vessel in North Sea – live

The United Nations shipping agency, the International Maritime Organization, is aware of the situation, and is checking further, it said.

Maritime analytics website Marine Traffic showed a number of vessels including container ships and oil tankers in the area of the North Sea where the collision occurred.

Lifeboats and a coastguard helicopter have been called to the collision in the Humber estuary, believed to involve a US-flagged tanker called the MV Stena Immaculate.

The American tanker was at anchor, according to ship tracking tool Vesselfinder, Reuters reported.

Britain’s coastguard is responding to reports of a collision between a tanker and cargo vessel off England’s northeastern coast, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said.

“A Coastguard Rescue Helicopter from Humberside was called, alongside lifeboats from Skegness, Bridlington, Maplethorpe and Cleethorpes, an HM Coastguard fixed wing aircraft, and nearby vessels with fire-fighting capability. The incident remains ongoing,” the agency said in a statement.

The alarm for the incident was raised at 9.48am. The BBC reported that the oil tanker involved in the collision was on fire. Reuters could not immediately verify that report.

UK coastguard responds to ship collision off northeast coast