Eight people remain in hospital, some with serious injuries, after a boat keeled over in an Edinburgh dry dock on Wednesday.
Emergency services rushed to Imperial Dock in Leith shortly after 8.30am after the RV Petrel, once owned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, became dislodged from its holdings and fell at a 45-degree angle in the dock. A total of 33 people were injured, and 12 people were treated at the scene.
NHS Lothian says it has treated 21 patients at hospital following the incident – 17 at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh (RIE) and four at the Western General. Two people were also taken to the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy, Fife, as health boards scurried to free up availability in accident and emergency departments to treat victims of the calamity.
Some pre-planned appointments, including surgeries, were cancelled at the RIE to make room for those injured on board. The NHS says it has no plans to cancel any further appointments.
Nine people have been discharged from the RIE and four are awaiting discharge from the Western. However, the health board says that eight people remain under observation at the Royal Infirmary, some of whom have "serious injuries".
NHS Lothian A&E boss Jacquie Campbell said: "Our staff are working tirelessly to ensure patients get the best care and our thoughts are with everyone affected by this incident. We worked quickly to create additional capacity across our hospitals, with support from partners and other sites.
“There are no plans at this time to postpone appointments or elective procedures tomorrow, but assessments continue and patients will be contacted directly if the situation changes. There are now 47 patients in A&E and we’ve been able to keep this open to the public throughout our response to this incident."
Police investigations continue into the incident. The Health and Safety Executive has also been informed.
Superintendent Mark Rennie, of Police Scotland, said: “I would like to thank partner agencies involved in the response to this incident which involved a complex operation to make sure everyone was safe. There is no risk to the wider public and enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances of what has happened.
“I would also like to thank the public for their patience while the emergency services undertook a very difficult job aiding casualties. We continue to ask people to avoid the area.”
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - sign up to our daily newsletter here.
