The Russian captain of the Solong cargo ship that crashed into a US-flagged tanker earlier this week in the North Sea appeared in an English court on Saturday on charges of gross negligence manslaughter.

Vladimir Motin, who was the master of the Portugal-flagged cargo vessel Solong, was charged with manslaughter.

The “heroic” crew of a US oil tanker struck in the North Sea triggered a crucial fire-fighting system before abandoning ship. Thanks to their efforts, only one of the Stena Immaculate’s cargo tanks containing jet fuel was damaged, Crowley, the maritime company managing the Stena Immaculate, has said.

The captain of the Solong cargo ship who was arrested after crashing into an oil tanker off the English coast is a Russian national, the vessel’s owner said Wednesday, as maritime experts search for answers.

The US-flagged MV Stena Immaculate was anchored off the Humber Estuary, 10 miles from Hull, when it burst into flames in a fireball after the Portuguese-flagged Solong rammed into it. Stena was loaded with more than 200,000 tons of highly flammable jet fuel for US warplanes, while both vessels were powered by heavy fuel.

The captain of a container ship that crashed into a U.S. tanker earlier this week off Britain's east coast appeared in an English court on Saturday charged with gross negligence manslaughter.

Captain of Solong cargo ship that collided with oil tanker charged with manslaughter - Vladimir Motin, 59, from St Petersburg, will appear at Hull Magistrates Court on Saturday.

The Russian captain of a cargo ship that collided with a U.S. tanker earlier this week appeared in a U.K. court Saturday where he was remanded in custody over the death of a crew member, who is missing and presumed dead.

U.K. police say the Solong cargo ship's captain, identified by the vessel's owner as a Russian national, was detained on suspicion of negligent manslaughter.

The captain of the cargo ship that crashed into an oil tanker anchored off the coast of Britian Monday has been arrested.