An Inverness-registered cargo ship travelling to Montrose has collided with another vessel in the Baltic Sea – sparking a major rescue operation.
The Scot Carrier was in a crash with Danish ship Karin Hoej in the early hours of Monday, authorities in Sweden and Denmark say.
According to reports from Sweden, the Karin Hoej capsized and at least two people were reported missing.
The two men in the water are understood to be the only two crew members on the Karin Hoej.
The Swedish news site says several vessels, as well as helicopters and aeroplanes, are involved in the rescue mission.
It has not been confirmed whether there are any casualties as a result of the collision, but it has been reported that the crew of the British ship is safe.
The Swedish Maritime Administration confirmed that they received a distress call at around 3.30am local time.
On approach, the rescue team heard screams coming from the water between the Swedish town of Ystad and the island of Bornholm.
Global ship tracker Marine Traffic has received no update from the Karin Hoej for more than six hours.
The cause of the collision was not immediately known but there was speculation it could have been due to poor visibility caused by fog.
Swedish news site Kvallsposten reported that the search had been impacted by early morning darkness and was called off at 11am local time.
Rescue crews determined there was no possibility of finding survivors in the freezing cold water.
Maritime authorities said the low temperatures gave the crew a survival time of just one hour.
The Scot Carrier had been expected to reach Montrose on Wednesday.
Ship’s crew ‘complying with authorities’
A spokesperson for operator Scotline said: “Scotline can confirm that they have an interest on the Scot Carrier, however, for the time being Scotline are not in a position to comment further since the details of the incident are currently under investigation and still ongoing.
“The master, ship, crew and company are assisting and complying with local authorities as required.
“Further details will be given in due course.”
A spokesperson at Montrose Port said they could not comment on the incident.