Two multipurpose (MPP) ships managed by the same company have been damaged in a head-on collision in the Kiel Canal in northern Germany.

Latvian operator Rix Shipmanagement's 3,700-dwt Rix Star (built 1991) and Rix Partner (built 1998) collided near Rendsburg am Obereiderhafen on Saturday afternoon.

The Bild newspaper cited the Neumunster police department as saying the Rix Star suffered a technical problem and ended up facing oncoming traffic before hitting the Rix Partner.