Cargo ship Verity crash - latest: P&O passenger cruise diverted to help in North Sea search after fatal crash
Rescue divers are searching for signs of life on a British cargo boat that crashed and sank this morning as four sailors remain missing.
One sailor has died and two have been rescued, reveal German authorities.
The four missing crew members may be alive and sheltering inside the vessel on the sea floor, the spokesperson said during a press conference alongside the German maritime search and rescue service.
The ships, Polesie and Verity, collided in the early morning about 14 miles south-west of the island of Helgoland, Germany’s Central Command for Maritime Emergencies said.
Verity was headed from Bremen, Germany, to the English port of Immingham. The other ship, the Bahamas-flagged Polesie, remained afloat with 22 people on board.
A P&O cruise called the Iona which was travelling from Hamburg is helping with the urgent rescue mission, confirmed officals.
According to reports, passengers were panicked when there was an onboard Captain announcement at 6am this morning.
A spokesperson for P&O Cruises said: “P&O Cruises Iona is currently involved in a search and rescue operation off the coast of Germany.
“The incident is ongoing and Iona’s cooperation complies with international maritime law as well as being consistent with the company’s moral and legal obligations.”
Missing cargo ship updates
One dead in North Sea cargo ship collision
A map of marine traffic
P&O liner joins rescue mission
A map to show where the ship sunk
What we know so far
The rescue mission so far
Tuesday 24 October 2023 17:45 , Lydia Patrick
A search and rescue operation began after the British-flagged Verity hit a larger cargo ship, Polesie, about 14 miles (22.5km) south-west of the German island of Heligoland at around 5am on Tuesday.
While the larger, Bahamas-flagged Polesie stayed afloat, the Verity, which had departed from Bremen, Germany, and was destined for the port of Immingham on the east coast of England carrying steel coils, became submerged.
Shortly afterwards a signal from the ship was lost, German authorities said, and wreckage was found.
Searches are continuing involving several ships, aircraft, and a P&O cruise ship, with rescuers preparing to dive 98ft (30m) to the wreckage.
Robby Renner, Germany’s head of Central Command for Maritime Emergencies, told a news conference in Cuxhaven it is possible the remaining crew are still alive inside the sunken vessel and that his team is doing “everything humanly possible” to rescue them.
Michael Ippich, of the German Maritime Search and Rescue Service, said the water temperature at the time of collision was 12C (54F), which people can survive for about 20 hours.
Mr Ippich told reporters: “The conditions on the spot are extremely difficult.
“Because of the weather and visibility, it’s incredibly difficult to conduct such an operation.”
A spokesman for P&O Cruises told the PA news agency: “P&O Cruises’ Iona is currently involved in a search and rescue operation off the coast of Germany.”
Where did the Verity go missing?
Tuesday 24 October 2023 17:11 , Lydia Patrick
The ships, Polesie and Verity, collided in the early morning about 22 kilometers (14 miles) southwest of the island of Helgoland, Germany’s Central Command for Maritime Emergencies said.
Track of #Verity courtesy of @TankerTrackers & @MarineTraffic pic.twitter.com/rGHXhLi5F5
— Andrew S-W (@Andrew_SW) October 24, 2023
Where did the Verity go missing?
Tuesday 24 October 2023 17:02 , Lydia Patrick
The ships, Polesie and Verity, collided in the early morning about 22 kilometers (14 miles) southwest of the island of Helgoland, Germany’s Central Command for Maritime Emergencies said.
Track of #Verity courtesy of @TankerTrackers & @MarineTraffic pic.twitter.com/rGHXhLi5F5
— Andrew S-W (@Andrew_SW) October 24, 2023
Watch - Rescuers search sunken British ship for signs of life after fatal North Sea collision
Tuesday 24 October 2023 16:31 , Lydia Patrick
Remaining missing sailors ‘could survive for 20 hours'
Tuesday 24 October 2023 16:00 , Lydia Patrick
The remaining missing sailors could survive for 20 hours in 12C waters say the German Maritime Search and Rescue Service.
“We are now doing everything humanly possible to rescue more people alive,” the head of the emergency command, Robby Renner, said at a news conference in Cuxhaven.
Several rescue ships and aircraft taking part in the search had not located the missing crew members by mid-afternoon.
Rescuers were considering the possibility that they were still inside the Verity, and planned to send divers down to the wreck to check whether there are any signs of life, Mr Renner said.
A graphic to show where the Verity went missing
Tuesday 24 October 2023 15:30 , Lydia Patrick
British ship crash in North Sea - crew missing
The British inland bulk carrier Verity sank near the German coast after colliding with the bulk carrier Polesie earlier today. #AIS data shows 14 tugs in the area as rescue operations are underway.#marinetraffic #NorthSea pic.twitter.com/uDGbSx4wlM— MarineTraffic (@MarineTraffic) October 24, 2023
Mapped - Where the Verity sank
Tuesday 24 October 2023 15:00 , Lydia Patrick
Missing sailors ‘may be alive’ say German Maritime Search and Rescue service.
Tuesday 24 October 2023 14:30 , Lydia Patrick
Divers are looking for signs of life on a freighter that sank in the North Sea after colliding with another vessel, a spokesperson for the German Central Command for Maritime Emergencies said on Tuesday.
The four missing crew members may be alive and sheltering inside the vessel on the sea floor, the spokesperson said during a press conference alongside the German maritime search and rescue service.
The Verity was carrying steel and had 1,300 cubic metres of diesel on board, the spokesperson added.
In Photos - P&O ship the Iona scanning the water near to where the British cargo ship Verity sank
Tuesday 24 October 2023 14:00 , Lydia Patrick
What we know so far
Tuesday 24 October 2023 13:37 , Lydia Patrick
One sailor has died and several others remain missing after a British cargo ship has reportedly sunk off the coast of Germany following a collision.
Two cargo ships crashed into each other in the North Sea, with a search currently ongoing for survivors.
One body has been recovered and another two people have been rescued, while four crew members remain missing.
Read the full report by Holly Evans here
One dead and several still missing after British cargo ship in crash in North Sea
How many sailors were on the Verity?
Tuesday 24 October 2023 12:42 , Lydia Patrick
Seven people had been on board the Verity, the central command said, adding that a search was ongoing for the four missing.The Polesie had 22 people on board, none of whom were injured, the central command said.
One rescued man was taken to a hospital on land and the other was on his way to hospital on board the German maritime rescue cruiser Hermann Marwede, it added.
One dead in North Sea cargo ship collision
Tuesday 24 October 2023 12:03 , Lydia Patrick
One dead body has been recovered and two people have been rescued in a search and rescue mission after two freighters collided in the North Sea off the coast of Germany, the maritime emergency authority said today.
Seven people were on board the ship Verity, the Central Command for Maritime Services said in a statement, adding that the search was ongoing for the remaining four missing persons.
Number of people missing confirmed
Tuesday 24 October 2023 11:31 , Lydia Patrick
Six people have been confirmed missing after one vessel sank in the early hours this morning say German authorities.
The ships, Polesie and Verity, collided in the early morning about 22 kilometers (14 miles) southwest of the island of Helgoland, Germany’s Central Command for Maritime Emergencies said.One of the ships, the British-flagged Verity, is believed to have sunk.
The emergency command said one person was rescued from the water and was being given medical treatment, and rescuers were searching for more. It later said seven people had been on board the ship and six were missing, German news agency dpa reported.
P&O share update after their cruise joins rescue mission
Tuesday 24 October 2023 10:59 , Lydia Patrick
The cruise liner Iona which was returning from Hamburg and headed towards Rotterdam is helping with the rescue mission.
According to reports, people on board were panicked when there was an announcement at 6am this morning alerting customers to what had happened.
A spokesperson for P&O Cruises said: “P&O Cruises Iona is currently involved in a search and rescue operation off the coast of Germany.
“The incident is ongoing and Iona’s cooperation complies with international maritime law as well as being consistent with the company’s moral and legal obligations.
“Iona is scheduled to be at sea today and this event should have no impact upon tomorrow’s scheduled call to Rotterdam or the onward itinerary.”
German transport minister shares his support
Tuesday 24 October 2023 10:36 , Lydia Patrick
Volker Wissing shared his gratitude to the rescue mission who have been searching the area since the early hours of this morning.
Nach der Kollision zweier Schiffe vor Helgoland sind meine Gedanken bei den Besatzungsmitgliedern und ihren Angehörigen. Ich danke den Rettungsteams, die seit dem frühen Morgen im Einsatz sind. Sie unternehmen alles, um die Vermissten zu retten.
— Volker Wissing (@Wissing) October 24, 2023
How big is the boat?
Tuesday 24 October 2023 10:34 , Lydia Patrick
The sunken Verity ship is a substantial 91 meters (299 feet) long and 14 meters (46 feet) wide.
What we know so far
Tuesday 24 October 2023 10:24 , Lydia Patrick
A British cargo ship has reportedly sunk off the coast of Germany following a collision, with several people missing as rescuers search for survivors.
Two cargo ships crashed into each other in the North Sea, according to German authorities.
The ships, Polesie and Verity, collided in the early morning about 14 nautical miles south-west of the island of Helgoland, Germany’s Central Command for Maritime Emergencies said.
The British-flagged Verity, apparently sank, while the Polesie remains waterborne with its 22 passengers.
One person was rescued from the water and is being given medical treatment, while rescue parties are searching for several more people who remain unaccounted for.
Read the full report by Holly Evans here
Crew members missing after British cargo ship in crash in North Sea
A map to show where the ship sunk
Tuesday 24 October 2023 10:20 , Lydia Patrick
P&O liner joins rescue mission
Tuesday 24 October 2023 10:05 , Lydia Patrick
A P&O spokesperson told The Sun their cruise ship Iona has joined the search mission as they try to find missing people.
They are also providing medical help for anyone in need on board the cruiser.
Rhys Johnson, 24, a passenger on the Iona, told The Sun that those onboard were woken just before 6am with an announcement that the crew were helping with the search and rescue operation.
Mr Johnson told The Sun: “There are helicopters, search vessels and two of our RHIBs helping.
“People are saying...the British ship has sunk. It’s incredibly distressing.
“We set off for Rotterdam from Hamburg yesterday, and we were about 200 metres away from the ships.
“Everyone on here is sad and concerned and in a state of panic.”
Map of marine traffic
Tuesday 24 October 2023 09:47 , Lydia Patrick
A map to show when the British ship Verity was last seen.
The green arrow on the right is the Verity, it’s last position was received five hours and 40 mins ago.
The green arrow to the left is the Bahamas-flagged Polesie which remained afloat after the collision.
Welcome to our live blog
Tuesday 24 October 2023 09:42 , Lydia Patrick
We will be live reporting the sinking of a British cargo ship off the coast of Germany after it collided with another shop.
So far, one person has been saved from the water and has received medical treatment whilst rescuers scramble to save other crew members.
Follow for live updates
