Two Cargo Ships Collide off Kythera

[Brief] On Saturday, two cargo ships collided about 10 miles to the west of the Greek island of Kythera. 

Photos from the scene taken Sunday show that the Kiveli's bow contacted the Afina I's hull amidships on the port side. The vessels remained connected after the collision. 

According to the Joint Search and Rescue Coordination Center of the Hellenic Coast Guard, the collision resulted in water ingress in both vessels, but no pollution has been observed. The vessel's crews were not harmed.

Four patrol boats and one pollution response vessel were dispatched to the scene, accompanied by several good samaritans. A private salvage company was contracted to respond and secure the vessels' safety. 

Based on AIS tracking by MarineTraffic, both vessels have been relocated to a sheltered bay between Elafonisos and Neapoli Voion, accompanied by the tug Apollon. The orientation of their hulls remains the same. The weather interfered with initial efforts to tow the vessels, and conditions are expected to worsen over the coming days, according to Arxipelagos.