At least six people have disappeared after two cargo ships collided near the German island of Heligoland, in the North Sea, according to the central command for maritime emergencies.
The ships In the forest y Verity They collided around 03:00 GMT about 12 nautical miles (22 kilometers) southwest of Heligoland, which probably caused the second to sink, the statement underlines.
The crew of this, the smallest of the vessels, 91 meters long and 14 meters wide, consisted of seven people, according to a spokeswoman for the rescue society (DGzRS). The rescue operation includes a rescue cruiser, police boats, a sensor plane and a helicopter, among other vessels.
According to authorities, the Polesie, which was carrying 22 passengers, is still sailing. The Verity was heading from Bremen to the English city of Immingham. The Polesie sailed from Hamburg to La Coruña in Spain.
At the moment it was not specified what goods they were transporting or the causes of the collision. Several rescue ships are searching for the castaways, as well as an army helicopter.