British cargo ship Verity sinks off the coast of Germany with several people reported missing after collision

Several people have been reported missing after a British cargo ship sank off of the coast of Germany.

The Verity cargo ship was bound for the UK port of Immingham from Bremen when it reportedly collided with another vessel named Polesie in the North Sea. Germany's Central Command confirmed that the two ships collided in the early morning of Tuesday 24 October, around 14 miles off of the island of Helgoland.

According to the Central Command, one person was rescued from the wreck, while several people remain missing. Searches are ongoing for survivors. Recuse vessels are in operations, while helicopters are also being deployed to help with the search. Polesie remained afloat, with 22 people onboard.

A P&O cruise ship, Iona, is also taking part n the search operation. A spokesperson from the company 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 Volker Wissing posted on X (formerly Twitter): "After the collision between two ships off Heligoland, my thoughts are with the crew members and their families. I would like to thank the rescue teams who have been on duty since early this morning. They do everything they can to save the missing people."