LONDON — An oil tanker and a cargo ship have collided off the coast of eastern England and a rescue operation is underway, Britain’s coast guard said Monday.
Several lifeboats and a coast guard rescue helicopter were dispatched to the scene in the North Sea, along with a coast guard plane and nearby vessels with fire-fighting capability.
The BBC reported that the oil tanker is on fire.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency said the alarm was raised at 9:48 a.m. (0948 GMT). The site of the collision is off the coast of Hull, about 155 miles (250 kilometers) north of London.
