Menu

Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

Ship In Scotland Topples Over in Dry-Dock With Multiple Injuries

22nd March 2023
The scene in Leith Docks (near Edinburgh), shows a large ship in dry-dock and propped up against the wall of the structure. It is believed the vessel fell over in strong winds.
The scene in Leith Docks (near Edinburgh), shows a large ship in dry-dock and propped up against the wall of the structure. It is believed the vessel fell over in strong winds. Credit: RTE News-twitter

In Scotland, multiple people have suffered injuries after a ship toppled over in a dry-dock in Leith (near Edinburgh), a spokesman for the Scottish Ambulance Service said.

Emergency rescue services were dispatched to the incident at Leith Docks which is approximately 2 miles from the Scottish capital.

An air ambulance, five ambulances and three trauma teams were at the scene in addition to other specialist responders, it added.

A large ship as photographed above, shows the vessel propped up against the wall within the dry dock. The facility is located in the port's outer docks system.

According to a Police Scotland spokeswoman: "Officers and emergency service colleagues are responding to an incident at Imperial Dock in Leith, Edinburgh, whereby a ship on dry dock has become dislodged from its holding.

"Police were called to attend at around 8.35am and officers remain at the scene.

"The public are asked to avoid the area to allow emergency service access."

RTE News has more from the port incident. 

Published in Shipyards
Jehan Ashmore

About The Author

Jehan Ashmore

Email The Author

Jehan Ashmore is a marine correspondent, researcher and photographer, specialising in Irish ports, shipping and the ferry sector serving the UK and directly to mainland Europe. Jehan also occasionally writes a column, 'Maritime' Dalkey for the (Dalkey Community Council Newsletter) in addition to contributing to UK marine periodicals. 

We've got a favour to ask

More people are reading Afloat.ie than ever thanks to the power of the internet but we're in stormy seas because advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. Unlike many news sites, we haven’t put up a paywall because we want to keep our marine journalism open.

Afloat.ie is Ireland's only full–time marine journalism team and it takes time, money and hard work to produce our content.

So you can see why we need to ask for your help.

If everyone chipped in, we can enhance our coverage and our future would be more secure. You can help us through a small donation. Thank you.

Direct Donation to Afloat button

Shipyards

Afloat will be focusing on news and developments of shipyards with newbuilds taking shape on either slipways and building halls.

The common practice of shipbuilding using modular construction, requires several yards make specific block sections that are towed to a single designated yard and joined together to complete the ship before been launched or floated out.

In addition, outfitting quays is where internal work on electrical and passenger facilities is installed (or upgraded if the ship is already in service). This work may involve newbuilds towed to another specialist yard, before the newbuild is completed as a new ship or of the same class, designed from the shipyard 'in-house' or from a naval architect consultancy. Shipyards also carry out repair and maintenance, overhaul, refit, survey, and conversion, for example, the addition or removal of cabins within a superstructure. All this requires ships to enter graving /dry-docks or floating drydocks, to enable access to the entire vessel out of the water.

Asides from shipbuilding, marine engineering projects such as offshore installations take place and others have diversified in the construction of offshore renewable projects, from wind-turbines and related tower structures. When ships are decommissioned and need to be disposed of, some yards have recycling facilities to segregate materials, though other vessels are run ashore, i.e. 'beached' and broken up there on site. The scrapped metal can be sold and made into other items.