Two cargo ships collided and capsized during a foggy night in the Baltic seas just south of Sweden. Maritime agencies in Denmark and Sweden said the British and the Danish cargo vessels collided on Monday at around 3:30 a.m. local time.
Authorities said that one crew member of the Danish vessel that capsized was found dead in the hull of the ship, while another one is still missing. The Swedish Karin Hoj barge and the British Scot Carrier reportedly sailed towards each other before crashing in the fog.
The Scot Carrier, a 3,450 gross ton general cargo carrier registered in the UK, was the bigger of the two ships. The ship had left Sweden's Gotland Island and was making its way back to Scotland. The smaller Danish vessel was a 180-foot self-sailing barge. It was sailing to southern Denmark from a port near Stockholm.
Maritime agencies deployed rescue boats and a helicopter to search the wreckage. The capsized barge was towed to shallower waters for divers to investigate the hull.
After receiving reports of the incident, the Swedish Coast Guard, Maritime Administration, and Sea Rescue Society coordinated their efforts, sending nine vessels and a helicopter into the area. The incident occurred south of the Swedish town of Ystad and the Danish island of Bornholm on a popular maritime path. Patchy fog was reported at the time, but the seas were calm.
Both ships reportedly had two crew members each. Rescue workers had hoped that the two crew members on the capsized ships had survived inside an air pocket within the hull despite the below-freezing water temperatures.
An investigation is currently being conducted to find out the cause of the collision. The Danish Meteorological Institute said the fog during the incident was not that dense and conditions weren't unusual, leading investigators to believe that negligence and possible intoxication may have been involved.
The Swedish Prosecution Authority said they are looking at several possible charges, including negligence in maritime traffic and maritime intoxication. Authorities are currently holding the crew of the British ship, one British and one Croatian, in custody while they continue their investigation.
"The Coast Guard is currently taking a number of investigative measures. Additional criminal suspicions have arisen, including gross sea drunkenness," Jonatan Tholin, the head of the investigation, told reporters.
Scotline Marine Holdings confirmed in a statement that the crew members of the Scot Carrier were tested for drugs and alcohol, and they had exceeded the legal limits. Sweden has one of Europe's strictest intoxication rules. The legal limit in Sweden is only 0.02 percent blood alcohol, compared to 0.05 percent in the UK.
