Europe

Body found, two people arrested, and one missing after cargo ships collide off Sweden

Two are detained on potential charges including ‘gross sea drunkenness’

The British cargo ship Scot Carrier is seen on the left after it collided with the Danish cargo ship Karin Hoej, in the Baltic Sea. Photograph: Johan Nilsson/TT via AP

Mon Dec 13 2021 - 20:27

A body has been found after British and Danish cargo ships collided off southern Sweden.

Swedish authorities confirmed another person is still missing at sea following the collision.

Two people have been arrested in connection with the suspected deaths of crew members following the collision, the Swedish Prosecution Service confirmed.

It is understood the Inverness-registered Scot Carrier collided with the Danish ship Karin Hoej south of Ystad, close to the Danish island of Bornholm, on Monday at about 2.30am GMT.

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At 3pm, the Swedish Maritime Administration (SMA) confirmed that a body had been found on the Karin Hoej as it was being towed to shore on Monday afternoon.

The Swedish Prosecution Service said two people, a British and a Croatian citizen, have been arrested on potential charges of causing the death of another person, gross negligence in maritime traffic and “gross sea drunkenness”.

The prosecution service confirmed the cause of the collision is unclear, and prosecutors are in the early stages of their investigation into what happened.

The Danish cargo ship capsized after the incident, which prompted a major rescue mission, including a helicopter and ships.

On Monday, a spokesman for SMA told the BBC that screams had been heard from the water after the collision.

"It is very cold and dark," the spokesman, Jonas Franzen, said. "The water is about 4 [degrees] C[elsius] and the air is about 5 [degrees] C[elsius]."

According to the website MarineTraffic, Scot Carrier was travelling from Salacgriva in Latvia to Montrose in Scotland, while the Karin Hoej had left Sodertalje in Sweden for Nykoebing Falster in Denmark.

A spokesperson for Scotline, the owners of Scot Carrier, confirmed the shipping company has “an interest” on the ship, but refused to comment while an investigation into the collision is ongoing.

“The master, ship, crew and company are assisting and fully complying with local authorities as required,” the spokesperson added. – AP

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