The captain of the container ship which collided with a U.S. oil tanker near Britain's East Coast pleaded guilty to manslaughter through gross negligence in London on Friday.

Vladimir Motin was a Russian citizen, aged 59. He was the captain of the Portuguese flagged Solong tanker that struck the Stena Immaculate tanker carrying military jet fuel on March 10.

Motin, a Filipino national, was charged with the murder of Mark Pernia (38), a crew member on Solong who has been missing for four days and is presumed to be dead.

He appeared by videolink at the Old Bailey on Friday, and pleaded guilty to a single count of gross negligent manslaughter. (Reporting and editing by William James; Sam Tobin)

(source: Reuters)