The number of people injured after an emergency incident at Leith Docks has risen to 33, emergency services have confirmed.
The Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) confirmed 21 people have been transferred to hospital, 15 to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, four to the Western General Hospital and two to Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy. A further 12 were treated at the scene.
The RV Petrel ship tipped at an angle at the city docks on Wednesday morning, with the SAS confirming they received a call around 8:29am.
They said that they sent five ambulances, an air ambulance, three trauma teams, their special operations team (SORT), three paramedic response units (RPU) and one patient transport vehicle.
READ MORE: RV Petrel: Story behind toppled Edinburgh ship, who owns her and why she's here
An update from the SAS stated that 21 patients were transported to hospitals in Edinburgh and Fife; 15 were taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary (ERI), whilst four were taken to the Western General Hospital and two to Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy.
They add that 12 patients were also treated for their injuries and discharged at Leith docks.
The BBC has since reported that one of those taken to the ERI has since undergone surgery but it is not yet known the extent of their injuries.
Further emergency services Police Scotland, Scotland Fire and Rescue Service and an air ambulance were on site alongside the SAS.
A spokesperson for the SAS said earlier today: "We received a call at 8:29am today to attend an incident in Leith.
“We have dispatched five ambulances, an air ambulance, three trauma teams, our special operations team (SORT), three Paramedic Response Units (PRU) and one patient transport vehicle.
“We transported 21 patients to hospital; 15 to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, four to Western General Hospital and two to Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy. A further 12 patients were treated and discharged at the scene.”
The RV Petrel, a research ship that has uncovered some of the most historic shipwrecks during its time at sea, is owned by the estate of Microsoft co-owner Paul Allen.
NHS Lothian had issued a warning earlier on Wednesday that stated that they were on ‘standby’ for patients and cautioned those attending A&E at the RIE to avoid doing so unless it was “an emergency.”
Jacquie Campbell, Chief Officer of Acute Services at NHS Lothian, said: “We’re on standby to receive a number of patients at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh’s A&E department following a major incident at Imperial Dock in Leith.
“We have been reviewing the current capacity at the RIE, with support from other sites, to prepare to accommodate these patients. Given the expected pressure on the site, we urge people not to attend A&E at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh unless it’s an emergency.
“If you think you need urgent care, please contact your GP or call NHS 24 on 111 to seek advice. Thank you.”
Those in Leith spotted the ship at a 45 degree angle and one-eye witness commented that: “You could see the boat across the docks at a severe angle. There are ambulances lined up one after another on the dockside with their lights on. I just hope everyone is ok."
A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: “We were alerted at 8.43am on Wednesday, 22 March to reports of an incident at Imperial Dock, Leith, Edinburgh.
“Operations Control mobilised four appliances and a number of specialist resources to assist emergency service partners.
"A number of casualties were passed into the care of the Scottish Ambulance Service.
“Crews left the scene at 3 pm.”
Launched in 2002, the Research Vessel (RV) Petrel's primary mission is to explore historically-significant ship wrecks at "challenging depths and conditions".
It takes its name from the petrel, a tube-nosed seabird, known for its ability to skim just above the surface of the water.
August 2015 saw Petrel's team commended by the UK Ministry of Defence after the research vessel played a vital role in the recovery of the bell of HMS Hood.
The bell was unveiled the following May by the Princess Royal to mark the 75th anniversary of the 1941 sinking of the famous battlecruiser, which remains the Royal Navy's largest loss of life (1,415) from a single vessel.
In October 2019, Petrel's crew were credited with the discovery of another ship lost during the Second World War: the Fletcher-class destroyer the USS Johnston.
Scattered more than 20,000 feet beneath the Philippine Sea, it's the deepest shipwreck discovery to date. To put this into context, the wreck of the RMS Titanic lies at a depth of 12,600 feet beneath the North Atlantic.
The ship's long list of major discoveries in the field of marine archaeology have led some to hail RV Petrel as one of history's most important research and exploration vessels, alongside Jacque Cousteau's Calypso and Captain Cook's legendary Endeavour.
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