The thirteen other crew members on board the cargo ship Solong "have been brought safely" ashore after the incident off the English coast, German shipping company Ernst Russ said in a statement.

"Efforts to locate the missing crew member are ongoing."

Both the Solong and the tanker, the Stena Immaculate, "have sustained significant damage in the impact of the collision and the subsequent fire," the German company added.

After the accident, the company "immediately activated an emergency response team," it said. "The first priority is the safety of the crew, all responders and the environment."

The collision in the North Sea sparked a massive fire and injured more than 30 people, according to the tanker's operator and authorities. The UK Coastguard is coordinating a major rescue operation.