The recently restored historic No 5 Elbe sailing ship sank recently after colliding with the Cyprus-flagged containership Astrosprinter in Germany's Elbe River near Hamburg.
The exact cause of the collision is still unknown, but according to Hamburg's NDR.de radio, preliminary results show that the containership was sailing in the direction of the Elbe estuary and travelled correctly along the northern side of the waterway, American Shipper reported.
Police said the schooner, with 43 people including 14 crew members on board at the time of the accident, was travelling on the wrong side of the Elbe River and turned south directly in front of the cargo ship's bow despite the containership having the right-of-way according to maritime rules, it reported.
Eight people on the No 5 Elbe, which was built in 1883, were injured. They were rescued from the ship and taken to different hospitals, CNN reported.
"We are deeply saddened by the collision. Our thoughts are with the passengers and the members of the ship's crew who were hurt," said the Hamburg Maritime Foundation, which bought the sailboat in 2002.
The No 5 Elbe, Germany's last remaining ship from the wooden shipbuilding era, recently underwent a EUR1.5 million (US$1.7 million) restoration.
The containership had reportedly attempted to reach the crew of the sailboat by radio without success prior to the collision, NDR.de reported.
Loose parts on the schooner's rigs and parts of the masts have been dismantled early with a floating crane as salvage operations began. A decision has yet to be made on whether to retrieve the No 5 Elbe from shore or with floating cranes, and the scope of the damage is still unknown, according to the radio report.