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Deadly Ship Collision in North Sea

Published Dec 10, 2012 5:09 PM by The Maritime Executive

A car carrier and container ship have collided about 50 nautical miles west of the mega-port of Rotterdam. Rescue operations have found five dead, but another six are missing. The BALTIC ACE was transporting about 1,400 Mitsubishi cars and had a crew of 24. Authorities say the 23.498 GT Bahamian flagged car carrier has likely sunk and finding survivors are slim.

The Dutch Defence Ministry said 13 crewmembers including the Polish captain were retrieved by Dutch helicopters from liferafts. Four were taken to Rotterdam Hospital and seven to the Koksijde Airbase near Ostend, Belgium.

The BALTIC ACE  was chartered from Ray Shipping and transiting from Zeebrugge, Belgium to Kotka, Finland when it collided with Cyprus flagged 707-TEU, 8,372 GT container ship, CORVUS J, which is owned by Jungerhans Reederieri. The container ship was sailing from its registered homeport of Grangemouth, Scotland to Antwerp, Belgium. Its crew is unharmed and the vessel was damaged but did not sink.