Man arrested over North Sea ship collision a Russian national, says owner

Smoke rises from the deck of the MV Solong cargo ship as tugs stand off in the North Sea after it collided with the MV Stena Immaculate tanker on March 10 [File: Paul Ellis/AFP]

The captain of a cargo ship that hit a US tanker in the North Sea is a Russian national, the owners of the vessel said, as police continued their inquiries into the incident.

The Solong container ship on Monday crashed into the Stena Immaculate, a tanker carrying jet fuel for the US military, causing an explosion that triggered fires on board the two vessels.