This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/jan/03/north-sea-cargo-vessel-capsize-eight-crew-missing
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Eight missing after North Sea cargo vessel capsizes in ‘very bad’ conditions | Eight missing after North Sea cargo vessel capsizes in ‘very bad’ conditions |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A major rescue operation has been launched after a cargo vessel believed to have been carrying eight people overturned off the north of Scotland. | A major rescue operation has been launched after a cargo vessel believed to have been carrying eight people overturned off the north of Scotland. |
| Four lifeboats, two rescue helicopters and other vessels are searching for the crew of the vessel whose upturned hull was found by a passing ferry in the Pentland firth. | Four lifeboats, two rescue helicopters and other vessels are searching for the crew of the vessel whose upturned hull was found by a passing ferry in the Pentland firth. |
| Shetland Coastguard was contacted by the ferry at around 2.30pm to report that the hull of the vessel had been found, although there were no survivors in the immediate area. | Shetland Coastguard was contacted by the ferry at around 2.30pm to report that the hull of the vessel had been found, although there were no survivors in the immediate area. |
| The cargo vessel was last seen at 1pm on Friday. | The cargo vessel was last seen at 1pm on Friday. |
| RNLI lifeboat crews from Thurso, Longhope and Stromness are currently searching for survivors in the Pentland Firth, between Orkney and John O’Groats. | |
| The Wick lifeboat is standing by the upturned vessel, waiting for the arrival of a tug which will tow the ship back to land. | |
| The vessel is understood to be the Cemfjord, which had been bound for Runcorn, Cheshire, on the west coast of the UK. | |
| Bill Farquhar from RNLI Thurso told BBC news that the NorthLink ferry Hrossey had spotted the hull of the vessel about 10 miles east of the Pentland Skerries, about 15 miles from Wick. | Bill Farquhar from RNLI Thurso told BBC news that the NorthLink ferry Hrossey had spotted the hull of the vessel about 10 miles east of the Pentland Skerries, about 15 miles from Wick. |
| He said the last known position of the ship had been at 1.15pm on Friday, adding: “The weather at that time was pretty bad. | He said the last known position of the ship had been at 1.15pm on Friday, adding: “The weather at that time was pretty bad. |
| “I don’t know what has happened after that. There was no mayday as such. | “I don’t know what has happened after that. There was no mayday as such. |
| “It is very, very strange, especially with all the weather technology we have nowadays.” | “It is very, very strange, especially with all the weather technology we have nowadays.” |
| Farquhar said: “Whatever happened, it happened very rapidly.” | Farquhar said: “Whatever happened, it happened very rapidly.” |
| He said the ship is approximately 83 metres long, and is understood to be a Cypriot-registered bulk cement carrier. | He said the ship is approximately 83 metres long, and is understood to be a Cypriot-registered bulk cement carrier. |
| The RNLI lifeboats are looking for wreckage, life rings, bodies or people in the water. | The RNLI lifeboats are looking for wreckage, life rings, bodies or people in the water. |
| “Conditions are very bad indeed,” he added. | “Conditions are very bad indeed,” he added. |