Lighthouse lost in boat drama

The German boat is drifting helplessly in the Baltic

A German cargo ship has capsized in the Baltic Sea - apparently after hitting and destroying a Finnish lighthouse. Officials in Finland say the 20-metre lighthouse has simply vanished.

The ship, the Janra, is floating upside-down in the Baltic Sea around 60km (35 miles) south of the Baltic island of Aland, near the spot where the lighthouse normally stands.

The Janra is thought to have ploughed into the lighthouse during poor visibility in the early hours of Saturday morning.

It's very probable that the ship hit Troeskeln Vaestra because the lighthouse has disappeared

Finnish coastguard spokesman

The vessel, which was carrying 260 tonnes of oil, is still afloat and drifting.

"Some oil has leaked out of the vessel but it's not widespread and it's not serious," said coastguard search and mission co-ordinator Ari Virrankoski.

Authorities are now tracking the drifting vessel, and might attempt to tow it back to shallow waters.

All its 11 crew members have been rescued - 10 of them after taking to the vessel's lifeboats. The captain had remained on board and was pulled to safety by Swedish coastguards.

Rain and snow

An investigation is under way into how the ship capsized, but coastguards in Finland say the most likely explanation is that the Janra hit the Troeskeln Vaestra lighthouse.

"We're not 100% sure, but it's very probable that the ship hit Troeskeln Vaestra because the lighthouse has disappeared," said Mr Virrankoski.

The lighthouse, made of steel, has already been rebuilt four times over the past decade after other collisions.

Conditions at the time of the incident were known to be poor, with snow and rain hampering visibility.