River Elbe sinking: Restored 19th Century ship goes down

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The 37m (121ft) schooner had just recently finished a €1.5m (£1.3m; $1.7m) refit

A 19th Century ship that had only recently undergone an expensive restoration has sunk in Germany after a collision with a container vessel.

Several people aboard the No 5 Elbe schooner were injured in Saturday's incident on the Elbe River near the northern city of Hamburg.

But all 43 people were quickly evacuated by rescue boats nearby.

The schooner, built in 1883, is Hamburg's last seagoing wooden ship from the era.

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The cause of the collision at about 12:30 GMT on Saturday is being investigated.

“If we hadn't been in the vicinity there could have been fatalities,” fire service official Wilfried Sprekels told the local newspaper Stader Tageblatt.

Rescue vessels were dealing with a minor incident nearby at the time.

But despite all their efforts the schooner sank.

The 37m (121ft) boat had just recently finished a €1.5m (£1.3m; $1.7m) refit in a Danish shipyard.

Its owners hope to salvage it so it could be rented for harbour excursions.