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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 3 hours 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. Lifeboats involved in the search for the crew of an overturned cargo vessel have been stood down for the night.
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. The search for the eight people who were on board the Cemfjord ship which capsized off the north coast of Scotland will be limited overnight to vessels travelling through the 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 tug Herakles will stay on the scene illuminating the area and warning shipping.
The cargo vessel was last seen at 1pm on Friday. A passing ferry alerted the Shetland coastguard at around 2.30pm on Saturday after seeing the ship’s upturned hull in the Pentland Firth.
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, Thurso, Longhope and Stromness RNLI lifeboats, the coastguard rescue helicopter from Shetland, an RAF rescue helicopter and other vessels in the area were involved in the search.
The Wick lifeboat is standing by the upturned vessel, waiting for the arrival of a tug which will tow the ship back to land. Bill Farquhar, from RNLI Thurso, told BBC News that the NorthLink ferry Hrossey had spotted the hull of the vessel around 10 miles east of the Pentland Skerries, about 15 miles from Wick.
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.
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. The 83-metre bulk cement carrier had been bound for Runcorn, Cheshire, on the west coast of the UK.
The RNLI lifeboats are looking for wreckage, life rings, bodies or people in the water. A spokeswoman for the RNLI said the lifeboats had been stood down and are returning to their stations.
“Conditions are very bad indeed,” he added. It is expected they will resume the search at first light if requested by the coastguard.
None of the eight crew have so far been found.