At least 35 people were injured after a ship belonging to the estate of late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen toppled over on March 22. The incident took place at Imperial Dock in Leith, Edinburgh.
According to the Daily Mail, the 250-foot vessel was toppled over by strong winds. The ship, a research vessel known as the Petrel, was photographed leaning at a 45 degrees angle on the dry dock. It had become dislodged from its holdings during high winds.
Major incident at Leith dry dock. pic.twitter.com/0d709Y5G60— Tomahawk (@Tomafc83) March 22, 2023
An air ambulance, five ambulances and three trauma teams responded to the dock. Fire services were also called. While 12 people were treated at the scene, 23 were taken to the hospital.
“It was unbelievable, I’ve never seen so many ambulances and fire engines in one go. It was really scary. There was a helicopter flying overhead and we were all wondering what was going on, it was like a nightmare,” said one construction worker who was at the dock.
pic.twitter.com/ggh6IIcIq8— Tomahawk (@Tomafc83) March 22, 2023
The Petrel is a research vessel that belonged to Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. It passed onto Allen’s estate after his death in 2018. While it had once been used to find historic shipwrecks, the Petrel was placed into long-term moorage in 2020 because of “operational challenges” during the coronavirus pandemic. The ship reportedly weighs 3,000 tonnes.
