euronews: Crew rescued after two ships collide off Dutch coast
Eighteen crew members have been rescued after two ships collided during a storm off the coast of the Netherlands, according to euronews's release.
The Dutch coastguard send rescue boats and helicopters to evacuate 18 people from a ship that was left drifting rudderless and had begun taking on water.
The collision in the North Sea happened as Storm Corrie lashed other parts of northern Europe.
The 'Julietta D' -- a Maltese-registered freighter -- collided with another boat around 32 kilometres west of the port of Ijmuiden, said Edward Zwitser, a spokesman for the Royal Dutch Lifeboat Company.
The other boat -- an oil tanker named Pechora Star -- was also damaged, but was able to continue its voyage, he added.
Three helicopters, including one from Belgium, were involved in the rescue operation.
Rescue efforts were hampered by storm Corrie, which is causing wind gusts of up to 120 km per hour on the North Sea.
The powerful winds of Storm Corrie follow Storm Malik, which has killed at least four people and destroyed dozens of houses.