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Seven rescued off coast of Ramsgate

Seven people have been rescued after the cargo vessel they were on sank off the coast of Ramsgate.

The UK Coastguard search and rescue helicopters from Lydd and Lee-on-Solent were scrambled last night around midnight, along with the Ramsgate lifeboat and a Dutch helicopter when the vessel Fluvius Tamar ran into difficulties 30 miles off the coast.

Four members of the crew of the 3,000 tonne vessel ended up in the water, and were rescued by liferafts put out by the Finnish merchant vessel Norstream, which also answered the distress call and arrived before the emergency services.

Seven people were rescued
Seven people were rescued

The remaining three were winched to safety by helicopter and taken to hospital. Their condition is not known at this time.

The Fluvius Tamar currently rests 40 metres deep. It was carrying 3,800 tonnes of magnesium oxide which is understood to pose no danger to the environment.

This morning a ship from the Lighthouse Authority was sent to the scene of the wreck and monitoring carried out by aircraft today has found no evidence of serious pollution.

An exclusion zone around the site of the wreck has been put in place, with UK Coastguard warning nearby vessels to stay away.

Earlier Steve Carson, UK Coastguard duty commander, said: "Following a MAYDAY broadcast from the sinking vessel, we sent multiple assets to the scene to rescue the crew who abandoned ship.

"The weather on scene has been challenging but we are pleased to report that all the crew have been rescued and are on their way to hospital."

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