One year after the 'Petrel' tipped over at the Imperial dock in Leith on March 22, 2023, officers continued to work with the HSE to establish the full circumstances of the incident. Some of the 35 people hurt in the incident sustained life-changing injuries. The investigation into the collapse has been going on for the past 12 months. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) was working with Police Scotland. Lawyers are helping some of the injured with their recovery, but they are yet to see any findings from the investigation. Digby Brown currently support 13 people from four different nations, some of whom have suffered truly catastrophic, life-changing injuries. Their priority is making sure each person has access to enhanced treatment so the outcome of their physical recovery may be as positive as possible.
News
TIGER LILY
A 29-year-old man from Bangladesh fell into a hold of the 'Tiger Lily' on the anchorage 26 kilometers off Montevideo in the afternoon March 21, 2024, was left unconscious and had a bruise and bleeding on his head. The National Navy carried out a medevac of the crew member, after the MRCC received a request for assistance at around 3:15 p.m. from the Prefecture of Montevideo. A fixed-wing aircraft made a first approach to the ship to evaluate the situation and guide a helicopter for evacuation. The doctor on board the aircraft confirmed that the Bangladeshi's health status was stable. At 5:25 p.m., the crew member was delivered to the Police Hospital emergency room to receive continuous medical care. Report with photos: https://www.montevideo.com.uy/Noticias/Joven-de-29-anos-oriundo-de-Bangladesh-debio-ser-rescatado-de-un-barco-por-la-Armada-uc883255
YEMEN
The two tankers 'Safer' and 'Yemen', containing oil and toxic waste, have been stuck in the Red Sea in the firing line between Western naval forces and Yemen's Houthi militants despite repeated efforts by the United Nations to empty and move the ships to avoid a spill. The vessels are near the port of Ras Issa, from where Iran-aligned Houthis launch missiles on ships passing through the Red Sea and where US missiles land as they target the Houthis. A million barrels of oil have been transferred from the decaying FSO 'Safer' onto the 'Yemen' in an operation that cost $121 million. The UN had hoped to move the FSO 'Safer' for disposal elsewhere and sell the oil aboard the 'Yemen'. Besides toxic sludge and wash water used to scrub oil out of the tanker, some 70,000 metric tons of residue were still onboard the FSO 'Safer'. Neither of the ships has moved since August 2023, as the Houthis and their foes in Yemen’s internationally-recognised government could not agree who should receive the money for the oil, and there was no an agreement to tow the ship away either. The UN Development Programme was in discussion with all relevant parties in Yemen about the handover of the vessel. The UNDP has not had any indication from the de facto authorities in Yemen of threats to deliberately damage the vessel. The Houthis have refused to release either of the ships, using them to increase their bargaining power. Belgium's Euronav has maintained a crew onboard the 'Yemen' since August under its contract with the UN. Once the handover process is complete, the crew will leave. Euronav scontinued to assist the UNDP to safely handover the 'Yemen', without specifying who might ultimately receive the ship.
TRUE CONFIDENCE
The salvage operation for the 'True Confedence', while being impeded by several challenges, was still ongoing as of March 21. One of the problems affecting the operation was the reliability of the tug. The vessel initially sent, on a daily charter basis (excluding Lloyd's open form or Lof), has broken down at the start of the week and had to be assisted itself. Furthermore, finding a salvage tug was proving complicated due to safety concerns among the operators, which has led owners and managers to call on the services of the 'Hercules' (IMO: 9558517), whose Swedish operator, based in the United Arab Emirates, is subject to American sanctions against Iran. After obtaining a waiver from the US Treasury, the 'Hercules' began towing the bulk carrier to the nearby port of Djibouti, where the ship's 17 survivors had already been dropped off shortly after the attack on March 6. But, citing security concerns, the Djiboutian authorities refused to grant the ship a port of refuge. This forced the tug to head in the opposite direction, towards Duqm in Oman. Due to the complex nature of the salvage and ongoing safety concerns, no ETA has been released. No pollution was reported during towing.
SAFER
The two tankers 'Safer' and 'Yemen', containing oil and toxic waste, have been stuck in the Red Sea in the firing line between Western naval forces and Yemen's Houthi militants despite repeated efforts by the United Nations to empty and move the ships to avoid a spill. The vessels are near the port of Ras Issa, from where Iran-aligned Houthis launch missiles on ships passing through the Red Sea and where US missiles land as they target the Houthis. A million barrels of oil have been transferred from the decaying FSO 'Safer' onto the 'Yemen' in an operation that cost $121 million. The UN had hoped to move the FSO 'Safer' for disposal elsewhere and sell the oil aboard the 'Yemen'. Besides toxic sludge and wash water used to scrub oil out of the tanker, some 70,000 metric tons of residue were still onboard the FSO 'Safer'. Neither of the ships has moved since August 2023, as the Houthis and their foes in Yemen’s internationally-recognised government could not agree who should receive the money for the oil, and there was no an agreement to tow the ship away either. The UN Development Programme was in discussion with all relevant parties in Yemen about the handover of the vessel. The UNDP has not had any indication from the de facto authorities in Yemen of threats to deliberately damage the vessel. The Houthis have refused to release either of the ships, using them to increase their bargaining power. Belgium's Euronav has maintained a crew onboard the 'Yemen' since August under its contract with the UN. Once the handover process is complete, the crew will leave. Euronav scontinued to assist the UNDP to safely handover the 'Yemen', without specifying who might ultimately receive the ship.