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One of the few native Helgolanders still alive from that time remembers hearing the blast as a “rumble, like thunder” in the German seaside town of Cuxhaven, about 35 miles away.

The larger cargo ship involved in the collision — the Bahamas-flagged Polesie, which had 22 people on board — was able to reach the German port of Cuxhaven under its own steam.

“We are now doing everything humanly possible to rescue more people alive,” the head of the emergency command, Robby Renner, said at a news conference in Cuxhaven.

The mayor of Cuxhaven, a popular seaside resort two hours’ drive from Hamburg, is even pleading with day trippers to stay away and give space to locals and long-term guests.

In Germany, police in the Germany port of Cuxhaven were called on board the Mein Schiff 3 last week after reports of disturbances.