Cargo ship runs into Tricolor

A cargo ship has run into the sunken Tricolor, the vessel that sank in the English Channel, taking with it luxury cars worth €46.6m, shipping sources said today.

The Nicola, a 3,000-tonne ship has struck the Norwegian vessel, which sank off Dunkirk on Saturday after colliding with another vessel in thick fog.

It is believed the Nicola is stuck on top of the wreck.

The collision came after bad weather hampered the salvage operation on the sunken ship.

The sunken Tricolor is a Norwegian-registered vessel full of 2,862 BMWs, Volvos and Saabs bound for British and US showrooms.

Salvage firm Smit Tak has been commissioned to do the initial salvage work.

A team of eight and a salvage boat are at the site, 30 miles east of the Ramsgate coast.

But high winds and strong sea currents have prevented divers from going down to the wreck to assess the damage.