The Scottish Ambulance Service said 25 people were injured when a ship ran out of its holds and flipped on its side at a dry dock in Leith, Scotland, Wednesday, and 15 people were taken to hospital. (Reuters)
A research ship owned by the estate of late Microsoft founder Paul Allen capsized at a shipyard in Scotland on Wednesday, injuring at least 25 people.
Scottish politician Adam McPhee said the “terrifying” accident involving the RV Petrel outside Edinburgh occurred after it was “swept out of control by strong winds”.
The Seafarers’ Association, a Christian charity dedicated to supporting merchant seafarers, wrote on Facebook: “Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by the Leith incident this morning. Unfortunately many have been seriously injured. We are supporting whoever we can.”
Pictures showed that the 250-foot vessel was tilted about 45 degrees to the side.
Artworks from the MICROSOFT FOUNDER PAUL ALLEN COLLECTION valued at $1.6 billion
The collapsed RV Petrel vessel at Imperial Quay in Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland, on March 22. (Reuters/Reuters Photo)
The Petrel, which made global headlines for the discovery of the long-lost wreck of the USS Indianapolis in 2017, among other deep-sea wrecks, was placed in a long-term berth in 2020 due to “operational challenges” from the coronavirus pandemic.
“The long-term impact of the COVID-19 crisis has changed the world in ways we could never have imagined,” read a post on the ship’s Facebook page in June of that year.
She added, “We have been given a huge mission – to discover, to educate, to honor – and we hope that we will eventually return to service.”
The Scottish Ambulance Service told the BBC on Wednesday that 15 people were taken to hospital after the ship capsized, while another 10 were treated at the scene and released from hospital.
LONG LOST US INDIANAPOLIS WRECKAGE Discovered by Paul Allen Crowe
The ship capsized during the high winds, according to a Scottish politician. (Twitter/@_HausOfVictor/via Reuters/Reuters Photo)
Police Scotland reportedly urged the public to move away from the area to allow emergency vehicles to enter.
Deals Marine Services, owner of the dry dock where the accident occurred, told the BBC that “our priority is to ensure those involved are supported”.
In 2017, the RV Petrel found the WWII-era wreck of the USS Indianapolis in the Philippine Sea.
The Indianapolis was sunk by the Japanese on July 30, 1945, which resulted in the death of more than 850 crew members on board.
It was the largest loss of life at sea in the history of the US Navy.
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RV Petrel has been in dry dock since 2020, before it broke down on Wednesday. (Reuters)
“To be able to honor the brave men of the USS Indianapolis and their families by discovering a ship that played such an important role during World War II is truly humbling,” Allen said in a statement at the time.
Petrel also found the wreckage of the Japanese aircraft carrier Kaga after it was sunk by US forces during the Battle of Midway in World War II.
FOX Business’ Haley Chi-Sing contributed to this report.
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