Rescue underway after Baltic Ace collision

The Baltic Sea, which was chartered by Norway’s United European Car Carriers (UECC) from its main operator, Belgian Euro Marine Logistics, was sailing under a Bahamas flag from Zeebrugge in Belgium to Kotka in Finland when it collided with the 134m Corvus J. The accident took place off the coast of Belgium and the Netherlands, about 100km from the Port of Rotterdam.

Three boats from the Royal Dutch Sea Rescue Organisation, two navy vessels, four helicopters and one coastguard aircraft are being used in the search for the missing crew who abandoned the ro-ro vessel when it began to sink, but strong winds and high seas have made conditions difficult.

Fritz Stabinger, secretary general, the International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI), said: “It is far too early to speculate on the insured costs of the incident, but the loss of the Baltic Ace comes in the final month of a year which began with the loss of the Costa Concordia, and goes to highlight the rising exposures assumed by the world’s marine insurance industry.”

“The collision occurred in one of the world’s busiest sea routes and is further evidence that the waterways of the English Channel were, are and will continue to be dangerous and a high-risk area.”

Thirteen people were rescued on Wednesday by Dutch coastguards and five have been found dead, but six of the vessel’s 24 man crew remain missing.