The captain arrested in a crash into a U.S.-flagged tanker off the coast of England is a Russian national, the owner of the vessel said.

The captain of a cargo ship that collided with a U.S. tanker is a Russian national who remains in U.K. police custody, the vessel’s owner said Wednesday, as it emerged that the ship failed several safety checks last year.

A port official said he was told the North Sea collision produced "a massive fireball" and the cargo ship's owner said one crew member was missing.