1 year ago
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A maritime national has called for a thorough probe into however a car ferry grounded successful Orkney.
The MV Pentalina had 60 radical connected committee erstwhile it grounded astatine St Margaret's Hope connected Saturday night.
The maritime union, the RMT, said it needed to beryllium established however the incidental connected the Pentland Ferries vas happened.
Smoke was detected successful the motor country of the MV Pentalina, earlier it grounded.
Emergency services, including lifeboats were called to the country astatine astir 19:30 aft the ferry issued a mayday message. It has since been refloated and berthed astatine St Margaret's Hope.
The coastguard said it would present beryllium surveyed to found the grade of immoderate damage.
Pentland Ferries was granted a impermanent rider vessel information certificate by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency past week.
The Pentalina came backmost into work connected Wednesday aft clip successful adust dock to let different ferry, the MV Alfred, to work different routes to islands connected the westbound coast.
It suffered method problems connected Friday past connected Saturday nighttime the ferry grounded connected the shoreline, astir 100 yards (91m) from its destination successful Orkney.
The 56 adults, 3 children, and a baby, arsenic good arsenic respective dogs, were taken ashore by RNLI lifeboats.
There are nary reports of injuries and passengers described the rescue cognition arsenic calm and professional.
All 60 radical connected committee the ferry were taken ashore by RNLI lifeboats
The Pentalina lone came backmost into work earlier this week aft clip successful adust dock
A spokesperson for the RMT said: "A thorough probe volition beryllium needed to found however this large incidental aboard the Pentland Ferries vas occurred."
Last week, Pentland Ferries main vessel, the newer and larger catamaran MV Alfred, began a nine-month charter with CalMac connected the westbound coast, which is costing the Scottish authorities £9m.
It is not wide erstwhile the MV Pentalina volition instrumentality to service.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said the MV Pentalina was refloated astatine astir 05:30 aft being towed by a tug and taken to its berth successful St Margaret's Hope.
A spokeswoman said determination were nary signs of contamination and added that the ferry would beryllium surveyed to found the grade of immoderate damage.
She added that the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) had been informed.
Coastguard teams from St Margaret's Hope, Stromness and Kirkwall and the Stromness and Longhope RNLI lifeboats were progressive successful the rescue.
A Transport Scotland spokesperson said: "Ministers were rapidly made alert of the incidental involving the MV Pentalina and kept informed of developments passim the night.
"We were relieved that each passengers and unit are harmless and that arrangements were made to enactment passengers with onward travel. "We would besides similar to explicit our appreciation to each those progressive successful the evacuation, including RNLI crews and different exigency services."
Hayley Green, vice chairperson of Orkney's Local Emergency Co-ordination Group (OLECG) said: "The situation, including the interaction connected ferry proviso crossed the Pentland Firth, volition beryllium reviewed implicit the coming days."
She besides praised the efforts of each agencies involved, including the section assemblage and unpaid lifeboat crews.
The MV Alfred ran aground in the Pentland Firth successful Swona successful July past year, with 97 radical connected committee who were transferred to lifeboats.
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