Cargo Vessels Collide Off Greek Island Near Turkey

Two cargo vessels collided off the Greek island of Chios near the Turkish cost on Friday, authorities said, adding that there were no injuries

The Singapore-flagged cargo vessel Potentia with 19 crew members and the Vanuatu-flagged ship Ant with 13 crew collided in the eastern Aegean Sea nine miles north of Chios.

"There are no injuries, there is no risk of pollution", a coast guard official told Reuters on condition of anonymity, adding that the ships were not loaded with cargo.

It was not immediately clear what had caused the collision, the official added. Greek authorities have deployed seven vessels and a search and rescue helicopter to the site.

The cargo ship Ant is pictured with visable hull damage following a collision with another ship, Potentia, off Chios. (Photo: Hellenic Coast Guard)

(Reporting by Lefteris Papadimas; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)