Multiple people in hospital with 'serious injuries' after ship tips in Leith
The Petrel became dislodged from its holding just before 8:30am, tipping to a 45 degree angle and injuring 33 people
8 people remain in hospital, some in a serious condition, following a major incident at Imperial Dock in Leith this morning.
The Petrel became dislodged from its holding just before 8:30am, tipping to a 45 degree angle and injuring 33 people.
The 76m (250ft) Petrel, a research vessel, was previously bought and outfitted by the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen but is no longer owned by his estate.
A wind speed of 38mph was recorded in Edinburgh at 8am on Wednesday, while a 44mph gust was recorded at 9am, according to Met Office data.
The Scottish Ambulance Service said 21 people were taken to hospital following the incident in Leith, Edinburgh, while a further 12 were treated and discharged at the scene on Wednesday morning.
The ambulance service said 15 patients were taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, four to Western General Hospital and two to Victoria Hospital.
NHS Lothian Issue update
Jacquie Campbell, Chief Officer of Acute Services, NHS Lothian, said: “Our staff are working tirelessly to ensure patients get the best care and our thoughts are with everyone affected by this incident.
“A&E at the RIE is the busiest in Scotland and 80 patients were already waiting for, or receiving, treatment in A&E prior to this incident.
“We worked quickly to create additional capacity across our hospitals, with support from partners and other sites.
“This included working with our health and social care partnerships (HSCPs) to discharge those who could leave hospital to maximise capacity across the system.
“Unfortunately, we did have to cancel outpatient appointments, endoscopies and planned surgeries at the RIE today to enable staff from other areas to support their A&E colleagues and to free-up our surgical staff for emergencies.
“There are no plans at this time to postpone appointments or elective procedures tomorrow, but assessments continue and patients will be contacted directly if the situation changes.
“I want to thank our staff, colleagues in the HSCPs and across the wider healthcare system for their considerable efforts to adapt quickly and respond to this incident, and their offers of support.
“There are now 47 patients in A&E and we’ve been able to keep this open to the public throughout our response to this incident.
“However, our staff remain very busy and we continue to urge people not to attend A&E unless it’s an emergency. Please contact your GP or NHS 24 on 111 for advice if you think you need urgent care.”
Multi-agency response to 'major incident'
Police remain at the scene this evening as enquiries continue into the incident, which officer describe as a 'complex operation'
Superintendent Mark Rennie said: “I would like to thank partner agencies involved in the response to this incident which involved a complex operation to make sure everyone was safe.
“There is no risk to the wider public and enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances of what has happened. The Health and Safety Executive has been informed.
“I would also like to than the public for their patience while the emergency services undertook a very difficult job aiding casualties. We continue to ask people to avoid the area.”
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