Two cargo ships have collided in the Baltic Sea between the town of Ystad in southern Sweden and the Danish island of Bornholm. According to the Swedish Maritime Administration, one of the ships is floating upside down.
“We do not know exactly how it happened”, Jonas Franzen, communications manager at the Swedish Maritime Administration told national broadcaster SVT.
A major rescue operation is now underway, with at least ten rescue boats from both Denmark and Sweden working at the scene. Several helicopters are also searching the area.
“The rescue boats have heard screams in the water”, Jonas Franzen told national broadcaster SVT. “The priority is to save lives”, he added.
However, no people or bodies have been found or retrieved yet.
“It is dark and very cold in the water. But the wind isn’t blowing so much. It is four degrees in the water and five degrees in the air”, Jonas Franzen said, suggesting that the weather conditions are far from optimal.
According to Franzen, diving resources have been requested to continue the search.
The “Karin Hoej” is 55 metres long and sails under the Danish flag and the “Scot Carrier” is 90 metres and sails under the British flag. The Danish ship was on its way from Södertälje, Sweden to Nykøbing Falster, Denmark and must have been unloaded. The British ship was on its way from Salacgriva, Latvia to Montrose in the UK.
“The Danish ship had at least two people on board. But we do not know how many there were there totally”, Franzen concluded.
The Swedish Coast Guard said that their ships were on their way to the site.
“At the moment, there are two people missing”, commanding officer Victor Devinder confirmed to SVT.
