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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 2 hours later)
Lifeboats involved in the search for the crew of an overturned cargo vessel have been stood down for the night. The air and sea search for the crew of a cargo ship which overturned in the North Sea is set to resume at dawn.
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. A major rescue operation was launched on Saturday afternoon after the upturned hull of the Cypriot-registered Cemfjord was spotted off the north coast of Scotland.
The tug Herakles will stay on the scene illuminating the area and warning shipping. German firm Brise of Hamburg confirmed there were eight people on board, seven Poles and one Filipino, and none have been found so far. There was no distress call from the ship, according to the company.
A passing ferry alerted the Shetland coastguard at around 2.30pm on Saturday after seeing the ship’s upturned hull in the Pentland Firth. 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 of the Pentland Firth.
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. A spokesman for the shipping company said: “Brise of Hamburg, managers of the cement carrier Cemfjord, deeply regret to confirm that this vessel’s crew of eight are missing following a severe accident in the Pentland Firth, off the North of Scotland.
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. “No distress call was received from the vessel. Bad weather prevailed in the area at the time and conditions remain difficult at the scene, with storm force winds.
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. “The crew consists of seven Polish seafarers and one Filipino mariner. The company is in the process of informing the families.
“I don’t know what has happened after that. There was no mayday as such. “The upturned hull of Cemfjord was seen by a local ferry and, in response, Shetland coastguard mounted a major search and rescue operation. The search continued throughout Saturday and will resume at first light.”
“It is very, very strange, especially with all the weather technology we have nowadays.” The overnight search was limited to passing vessels, with the tug Herakles remaining on the scene to illuminate the area and warn passing shipping.
Farquhar said: “Whatever happened, it happened very rapidly.” Shetland Coastguard was alerted by the NorthLink ferry Hrossey which had spotted the vessel around 10 miles east of the Pentland Skerries, about 15 miles from Wick.
The 83-metre bulk cement carrier had been bound for Runcorn, Cheshire, on the west coast of the UK.The 83-metre bulk cement carrier had been bound for Runcorn, Cheshire, on the west coast of the UK.
A spokeswoman for the RNLI said the lifeboats had been stood down and are returning to their stations.
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.