Radioactive ship drifting in North Sea near Scotland, oil platform evacuated

© RIA Novosti. Alexei Danichev

A ship carrying radioactive materials drifted in North Sea near Scotland.

A ship carrying radioactive materials is drifting in North Sea after a fire broke out in one of its engines and as a result a nearby oil platform has been evacuated, BBC news.

The ship, named the Parida, was carrying highly radioactive concrete waste from Scrabster to Antwerp when a large fire broke out in one of her funnels. The ship lost power and is now drifting towards the Beatrice oil platform, reports the .

As a precautionary measure, 52 people have been evacuated from the oil platform by the RAF and the Coast Gaurd. 15 people are still on board the ship.

Since the incident, a tow vessel, the Pacific Champion, has been dispatched and has the Parida under tow at the moment. "The coastguard emergency towing vessel from Orkney was tasked to go and prevent the Parida from drifting but before the coastguard vessel arrived on scene the owners agreed a commercial tow with Pacific Champion," said a spokesman for the Coast Guard.

The Scottish government is keeping tabs on the incident. Richard Lochhead, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and Environment, said "Ministers have been briefed and Scottish Government officials are engaging closely with the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, the UK Government and key partners to ensure appropriate response arrangements are in place."

The ship is currently 20 nautical miles south east of Wick.