Cargo ships are said to have collided in the Baltic Sea
A major rescue operation is underway in the Baltic Sea where two cargo ships are said to have collided and one is about to sink. Screams from people in the water have been reported.
Expressen writes the accident that involved the cargo ships Karin Hoej and Scot Carrier, happened at 3.30 on Monday night. The two ships were then between Bornholm and Ystad.
– We do not know what has happened yet. One of the vessels has capsized and is up, says Jonas Franzen in the Swedish Maritime Administration to Expressen.
The Swedish newspaper is informed by the Coast Guard that it is the Scot Carrier that has run into the Danish ship.
– We do not know how many people were in the boat that is about to sink. We suspect that at least two people are in the water. At 4.45 we received a report that screams have been heard in the water, he says.
By nine o’clock Monday morning, it still hasn’t been made fun of by people.
The Danish ship leaks oil. Even though it has capsized and is lying upside down, it is planned to tow it to Sandhammaren in Sweden.
Dark and cold
The weather conditions in the area make the search difficult. It is dark and temperatures in the water are about 4 degrees.
– There are two men on board and they have not been found, stated Victor Devinder at the Swedish Coast Guard’s rescue center.
How long the two, or possibly more, have been in the water is not known.
– We have not found anyone yet. But we have asked for diving resources and continue the search, says Franzen.
Danish and British
Scot Carrier is registered in the UK. The ship is 90 meters long, was built in 2018 and was on its way from Salacgrīva in Latvia to Montrose in Great Britain. It is not known which last ship has.
Karin Hoej is registered in Denmark, 55 meters long and was built in 1977. It was on its way from Södertälje in Sweden to Nykøbing Falster in Denmark. It should not have a load.
Six rescue vessels and a helicopter from Denmark are participating in the rescue work, and helicopters from Kristianstad and Visby are also on their way.
Another British vessel that was nearby is also assisting in the rescue work, according to Aftonbladet.
Confirms
According to the Armed Forces’ operations center in Denmark, it is Karin Hoej who has capsized and who is about to sink.
– We can see from our radar surveillance that there has probably been a collision between two smaller cargo ships northwest of Bornholm, says duty officer Steffen Lunn to Ritzau.
– We are talking about a Danish and an English ship. And we get messages that it is the Danish ship that has capsized, he says.
– We do not know how many crew members are on board, but we expect that on the Danish ships there are at least two, says Lunn.
(© NTB)