Ship Evacuated And Closed Following Incident

Safety reassurances are needed after two men suffered injuries when a gangway used to access the HMS Belfast on the River Thames collapsed, according to a work accident and public liability expert at Irwin Mitchell.
 
Reports have revealed that all other people on board the ship were evacuated after the incident at lunchtime today (November 29th).
 
The Imperial War Museum, which the ship is part of, confirmed that the injured men were contractors working at the site and both were taken to hospital after the collapse.
 
An investigation has been launched into the incident and it has been confirmed that the ship will be closed until further notice
 
David Urpeth, a specialist in public liability claims at Irwin Mitchell, said it was vital that authorities work quickly to discover how the incident came to occur.
 
He said: “Only a handful of details are available on this incident but it is vital that every effort is made to provide answers over what happened and, more importantly, how it could be avoided in the future.
 
“Through our work in cases in which people have suffered injury at work and in public places, we’ve seen on many occasions how lessons can be learned from such incidents which can then improve general safety.
 
“We hope that both the museum and other authorities can answer all of the questions which remain in relation to this incident, with a view to ensuring the same thing does not happen to anyone else.”