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Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh Live
National
Kris Gourlay

Fourteen remain in Edinburgh hospital after ship tips over in Leith docks

Fourteen casualties remain in hospital following Wednesday's major incident at the Imperial Dock in Leith where a large ship toppled over.

A huge rescue operation was launched including crews from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and Scottish Ambulance Service after the 250ft vessel became dislodged from its holding.

The ambulance service confirmed 21 people were taken to hospital following the incident, with a further 12 having been treated at the scene and later discharged.

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On Thursday, NHS Lothian confirmed that of those taken to hospital, 14 remain at either the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, the Western General Hospital or in Fife.

Nine people were discharged from the Royal Infirmary but eight remain at the hospital, some with serious injuries. Four patients at the Western General are also awaiting discharge. Two further patients in Fife reportedly remain in hospital also.

The ambulance service deployed 12 ambulances, an air ambulance, three trauma teams and several other resources to the scene. Distressing images from the scene show the Petrel, understood to be owned by a branch of the US Navy, leaning at a 45-degree angle in the dry dock.

The 76m (250ft) research vessel was previously bought and outfitted by the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen and was sold by his estate in 2022.

A major operation was launched after the huge vessel toppled over. (Twitter/tomafc83)

James Walsh, 39, is a scaffolder on the docks and was working nearby when he heard a "loud noise".

He said: "It wasn't as noisy as you would think, for the catastrophe that it could possibly be.

"We stopped what we were doing. I'm the foreman, so I just evaluated the situation, we were on the docks further up and we were advised we were fine where we were."

He spoke to one worker he knows on the ship, and said he told them: "He had just put his tool bag down and thought 'I'm going to nip to the toilet', went away to the toilet, and he said he doesn't know where his workmates were."

"It's scary. Very scary. Just makes you evaluate everything really," Mr Walsh said.

NHS Lothian earlier said it was "on standby to receive a number of patients" at the A&E department at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary from the scene and urged others not to attend unless in an emergency.

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