Two ships have collided off the coast of Germany and several people are missing

Two cargo ships collided in the North Sea off the German coast on Tuesday and several people were missing, German authorities said.

The ships, Polesie and Verity, collided in the early morning about 22 kilometers (14 miles) southwest of the island of Helgoland, Germany’s Central Command for Maritime Emergencies said.

The other, bigger ship, the Bahamas-flagged Polesie, remained afloat with 22 people on board. It was heading from Hamburg to A Coruña, Spain.

Vessels supporting the rescue effort included a cruise ship, the Iona, that has doctors on board and could treat people if needed, the emergency command said. More medical personnel were being taken to the scene by helicopter.