Four sailors dead and seven missing overnight in freezing water after North Sea ship collision



Coastguard decide to resume rescue operation this morning



Coastguards say: 'The chance of finding anyone alive now is virtually zero'

Four bodies already recovered and 13 people rescued after crash off Dutch coast



The search for seven sailors missing in the North Sea after a cargo ship collided with another vessel will resume today - but rescuers admit they have given up hope of anyone surviving the freezing waters.

Four bodies were recovered yesterday during a massive air and sea rescue operation involving several helicopters, two navy patrol ships and even one of the ships involved in the collision.

But the death toll from Wednesday's collision is expected to rise to 11.

Thirteen people have been rescued and are being treated in hospital.



Collision: Five members of the crew of the Baltic Ace have died after the vessel collided with a container ship in the North Sea. A further six are still missing (file picture)

The Corvus J was damaged but not in danger of sinking. It helped with the search operation yesterday but has now sailed away for repairs

Peter Westenburg of the Dutch Coast Guard said: 'Given the water temperature and the amount of time that's passed, we don't have any hope for more survivors.'

High winds and rough seas hindered the search last night and it was called off shortly after 2 am.

The 485ft Baltic Ace collided with the 440ft container ship Corvus J, heading from Scotland to Belgium, in darkness near busy shipping lanes 40 miles off the coast of the southern Netherlands.

The cause of the collision is not known.

Accident: The collision involving the two ships happened around 40 miles off the Dutch port of Rotterdam