Several missing after ships collide in North Sea

BBC News:

Several people are missing after two cargo ships collided off Germany’s North Sea coast, German authorities say.

The British-flagged Verity reportedly collided with the Bahamian Polesie at around 5:00 local time (3:00 GMT) on Tuesday morning.

The Verity is believed to have sank.

The German coastguard said one of the Verity’s crew of seven had been rescued.

Six others are missing, German media report citing a central command for maritime emergencies official.

The Verity was travelling from the northern German city of Bremen to Immingham in the UK when it collided with the Polesie, which had departed from Hamburg on a journey to La Coruña in Spain.

The incident happened off the coast of Heligoland, a German archipelago which is part of the state of Schleswig-Holstein.

Two sea rescue cruisers from the German Maritime Search and Rescue Service (DGzRS), a German navy helicopter and a water police boat are aiding in the search efforts, the DGzRS said. A cruise ship which is in the vicinity is also contributing.

One person was rescued from the water and is being given medical care, the DGzRS said.

In a statement posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, German Transport Minister Volker Wissing thanked rescue crews and said every effort was being made to rescue the missing people.

The cause of the collision is still unclear.