A maritime expert at a British university which created a simulation of the North Sea crash describes the incident as "very rare", with the reason behind the collision still unknown. The Solong cargo vessel "was on a straight course. She could have altered course to avoid all vessels at the anchorage at that time, but it was not done," says Abdul Khalique, head of the Maritime Centre at Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU). IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES