Italian shipowner Raffaele Brullo has been placed under house arrest as part of an investigation into a fatal tanker collision off Sicily last year.

The master and third mate of the 11,300-dwt Vulcanello M (built 2006) were also held by the Italian Coast Guard after the Palermo prosecutor's office alleged the vessel was involved in the sinking of the fishing vessel Nuova Iside with the loss of three crew members.