The accident happened close to the busy waterway off the port of Zeebrugge which many ships use on their way to Europe’s major ports to Rotterdam and Antwerp.

Provincial governor Carl Decaluwe told VRT radio that “some 20 ships were involved in the rescue because there is little time to save people considering the hour and temperatures.” The collision happened just after 04:00 with air temperatures below 10°C.

There were no immediate reports of major environmental damage. The gas tanker was anchored off Zeebrugge after the collision to assess the damage.