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Formal investigation launched into ferry grounding off Orkney

MV Alfred.
MV Alfred.

The Marine Accident Investigation Board (MAIB) has launched a formal investigation into a recent ferry grounding off Orkney.

The incident, which happened on Tuesday July 5, resulted in passengers onboard the MV Alfred being evacuated. One person was taken to hospital.

It partially ran aground on the Isle of Swona in the Pentland Firth.

After the incident, the MV Alfred was taken out of service.

The sea route to Orkney takes approximately one hour – and is run by Pentland Ferries, a private operator.

The Alfred, a catamaran, was brought into service in 2019. It was built in Vietnam at the cost of £14million.

The MV Alfred sustained damage after it ran aground.

The MAIB has now issued a notice of its current investigations  – confirming the grounding of the Alfred was under its scrutiny.

Investigators had previously made preliminary inquiries in the hours following the stranding of the vessel.

One person taken to hospital

The Orkney-bound vessel had 84 passengers and 13 crew on board.

It occurred shortly after 2pm on the vessel’s scheduled sailing between Gill’s Bay on the Scottish mainland and St Margaret’s Hope in Orkney.

An initial inspection revealed that the Alfred’s port bulbous bow had sustained impact damage when it made contact with the uninhabited island.

While the port bow was grounded, the remainder of the ship remained afloat. The ship was floated off unaided and made its way to St Margaret’s Hope under its own engine power.

The ferry operator initially suspended sailings, before another vessel was brought back into service for the route.

The Alfred went for repairs at a dry dock in Northern Ireland.

It returned to the route on August 5, after undergoing five weeks of repairs.

At the time of the incident, a spokeswoman for the MAIB said: “The MAIB was notified of the grounding of the ferry Alfred in the Pentland Firth on July 5, 2022, resulting in damage to the vessel, embarked vehicles and passenger injuries.

“A multidisciplinary team of MAIB has arrived in St Margaret’s Hope to commence a preliminary assessment. This will involve assessing the vessel, conducting witness interviews and recovering electronic and documentary evidence in order to determine the next steps.

“The MAIB will update on its intentions once the preliminary assessment of the accident is complete.”

The Alfred is described by its owners as the most environmentally friendly ferry in Scotland.

It can carry 430 passengers and 98 cars.

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