A cargo ship hit a tanker carrying jet fuel off the coast of eastern England Monday, setting both vessels on fire and triggering a major rescue operation, emergency services said.

At least 32 people were brought ashore, but their condition was not immediately clear. The operator of the tanker said all of its crew members were safe.

The U.S.-flagged chemical and oil products tanker MV Stena Immaculate was at anchor near the port of Grimsby Monday morning after sailing from Greece, according to ship-tracking site VesselFinder. The cargo vessel, Portugal-flagged container ship Solong, was sailing from Grangemouth in Scotland to Rotterdam in the Netherlands.

U.S.-based Crowley Ship Management, which operates the Stena Immaculate, said the tanker “sustained a ruptured cargo tank containing Jet-A1 fuel,” when the container ship struck it, triggering a fire and “multiple explosions onboard,” with fuel released into the sea.

Ambulances leaving the port after a ship collided with a tanker. (Reuters)

U.K. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said she was being kept up to date on the developing situation.

“I want to thank all emergency service workers involved for their continued efforts in responding to the incident,” she said.