Several people are missing after a collision between two cargo ships in the North Sea north of Germany. One of the ships is believed to have already sunk, German authorities said on Tuesday.
The incident occurred early this morning, about 22 km southwest of the Heligoland island, the central German maritime emergency authority said.
At this stage, numerous ships are searching the area for survivors. One person has already been rescued from the water and is receiving medical treatment.
The ship that is believed to have sunk has been identified as the Verity, which sailed under the British flag and was en route from Bremen to Immingham in England.
The other ship is the Polesie, which sails under the Bahamas flag and was on its way from Hamburg to La Coruna in Spain.
The Verity is the smaller vessel of the two with a length of 91 metres, compared to the 190 meter long Polesie. The Polesie is currently still afloat, with 22 people still on board, German authorities say.
Rescue vessels, an emergency tugboat, a police patrol boat and a helicopter are among others involved in the search for survivors. A passenger ship in the area was also involved in the search.
