LILLE, France: Two cargo ships crashed into each other off the French port of Dunkirk on Wednesday, breaching one of their hulls and causing a minor fuel spill, maritime officials said.
The British-flagged Scot Isles, a 92-meter freighter was holed in the collision, which took place 40 km (21 nautical miles) northwest of Dunkirk, but no-one was hurt, a French coastguard spokesman said.
An Egyptian vessel, the Wadi Haifa, was not damaged in the accident and continued on its journey towards the German port of Bremen.
The Scot Isles, which had been heading for Anvers in Belgium, sailed into Dunkirk under its own power, escorted by a tug boat and a customs launch.
As the accident took place in British waters, their Maritime Accident Investigation Branch will conduct an inquiry, the French official said, adding that the sea was calm and the weather clear when the crash took place. -AFP
