Captain arrested in UK ship crash is Russian national, owner says

London: The ship's captain arrested in connection with a crash into a US flagged tanker off the coast of England is a Russian national, the German company which owns the vessel said on Wednesday.

The Solong crashed into the Stena Immaculate, a tanker carrying jet fuel for the US military, on Monday. A day later, British police arrested the Solong's captain on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter.

Police said the 59-year old remained in custody.

Hamburg-based owner Ernst Russ said the captain of the Portuguese-flagged Solong was Russian, adding the rest of the crew was a mix of Russian and Filipino nationals.

The Stena Immaculate was at anchor when it was struck by the smaller Solong causing huge fires and explosions, leaving one crew member missing presumed dead, and releasing fuel into the sea, leading to fears about the impact on the environment.

As speculation about the cause of the collision mounts, the Telegraph newspaper reported that the Solong had failed steering-related safety checks last year, citing a routine safety check carried out by Irish officials in Dublin in July.