A Danish freighter has capsized following a presumed collision northwest of Danish town Rønne on outlying island Bornholm.

Two people were immediately reported missing, and both helicopters and boats have been looking for them. Shortly before noon, however, the search for the missing persons ceased, inform the Danish Armed Forces on Twitter.

The Swedish Maritime Administration (SMA) states that its own search for the two people was halted at 10.30 a.m. CET.

The two missing persons have yet to be found. Several media report they are Danish nationals.

The ships in question were Danish vessel Karin Høj and British Scot Carrier, which reportedly came on a collision course.

Karin Høj, a self-propelled barge from 1977, was on its way from Södertälje in Sweden to Nykøbing Falster in Denmark.

Scot Carrier is a somewhat larger vessel, and according to the Danish Joint Operations Centre (JOC), the ship was reported as "sailing".

The two vessels likely collided Monday morning around 3.30 a.m. Early morning saw reports that the Danish ship had capsized.

"Meaning that it's keeled over, lying bottom-up," said Steffen Lunn, officer with the JOC.

"What we see from radar surveillance is that there has likely been a collision between two smaller freighters northwest of Bornholm."

A rescue helicopter and several rescue boats from the military have been searching for the missing people at sea and from the air. However, nothing has been found but parts of the vessel, said Jesper Berthelsen of the JOC.

"We've flown over the area many times, but we haven't found anything but wreckage on near the surface," he said.

He added that divers on Monday will carry out investigations of the Danish freighter to see if the two missing people may be found there.

The SMA also informs that the Danish freighter will now be towed closer to shore, so divers may examine the vessel.

The towing was still ongoing at 11 a.m.. Efforts to bring the freighter closer to shore began two hours prior.

All Danish units have sailed back to port or landed, the Danish Armed Forces report.

English Edit: Jonas Sahl Hollænder

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