The extent of the damage sustained by the US-flagged oil tanker “Stena Immaculate” is shown in aerial video presented by BBC nearly 24 hours after it collided with the Solong, a Portuguese-flagged container ship.

The incident occurred just off the coast of East Yorkshire. Both ships were engulfed in flames after colliding late Monday morning.

The coastguard said 36 people were taken ashore, one of whom had to be taken to hospital for treatment.

Solong’s owner, Ernst Rush, later said a member of the 14-member crew was missing.

“A huge ship suddenly appeared out of nowhere”

The moments of the collision and what followed in its aftermath were meanwhile described to BBC by a US sailor on board the Stena Immaculate.

The sailor, who spoke on condition of anonymity as the crew are not currently allowed to speak to the media, said he was near the scene of the collision when it occurred. Suddenly, “a huge ship appeared out of nowhere,” he said, adding that he had only seconds to react.

As he described it, he heard voices just before the collision, however none of Solong’s crew noticed them in time and he ran into them. Other crew members have described how no one appeared to be on the Solong’s bridge at the time of the collision.

Immediately after the collision, flames began to engulf the ship and the crew immediately sprang into action, wearing protective gear to operate against the fire. According to the sailor, the crew showed bravery, however after a few minutes they realised the case was lost and after being counted, they then abandoned ship in a lifeboat, with the captain being the last person to disembark.

The sailor said the flames touched the crew as they moved in the lifeboat and some of them saw some of their hair burn.

The entire incident from impact to evacuation lasted about 30 minutes, the sailor said, adding that the operation was “textbook” for a future similar incident.