Fears for missing crew as cargo ship sinks in storm
EIGHT people were missing and feared dead last night after a cargo ship overturned in stormy seas off the Scottish coast.
A major air and sea rescue operation was under way after the upturned hull of the vessel was spotted by the crew of a passing ferry.
But late last night hopes of finding survivors were fading as weather conditions deteriorated dramatically. A spokesman for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said: ‘We have discovered wreckage, but at present there are no survivors in the immediate vicinity. It has to be said, at this stage, that it is not looking particularly encouraging that we will find them.’
However, the search was expected to continue for some time in the faint hope of finding the missing crew.
The alarm was raised at about 2.30pm yesterday when crew on board the NorthLink ferry Hrossey reported seeing the upturned hull sticking out of the water, approximately 15 miles north east of Wick in the Pentland Firth.
Shetland coastguards are co-ordinating the search operation. Four RNLI lifeboats from Wick, Thurso, Longhope and Stromness were sent to the area. The coastguard rescue helicopter from Shetland and an RAF rescue helicopter were also scrambled. As darkness fell, other vessels that had been operating in the area joined in the hunt for survivors.
The stricken vessel is believed to be the Cypriot-registered Cemfjord.
It was thought to be carrying a cargo of cement and had been heading for Runcorn in Cheshire.