Ships collide off Dutch coast in storm, rescue efforts under way

The Dutch coastguard is sending rescue boats and helicopters to evacuate 18 people from a ship that collided with another vessel in the middle of a storm off the coast of the Netherlands. Cargo ship bound for Amsterdam from Germany, collided with an oil and chemicals tanker, the coastguard said in a statement. The Jullietta D.

The Dutch coastguard is sending rescue boats and helicopters to evacuate 18 people from a ship that collided with another vessel in the middle of a storm off the coast of the Netherlands. The vessel, the Maltese registered Julietta D. Cargo ship bound for Amsterdam from Germany, collided with an oil and chemicals tanker, the coastguard said in a statement.

The Jullietta D. is rudderless and taking in water. The 18 crew members are being evacuated, the coastguard said. The situation on the oil tanker is stable, it added. Rescue efforts are hampered by storm Corrie which is causing wind gusts of up to 120 km per hour (75 miles per hour) on the North Sea.