Orkney Ferry runs aground: MV Pentalina grounded with baby on board after smoke detected in engine room

A ferry ran aground in Orkney, Scotland, on Saturday (April 29) with 60 people on board, including a baby. The smoke which caused the disruption was detected in the engine room of the MV Pentalina before it became grounded near the village of St Margaret’s Hope.

Lifeboats from the RNLI and emergency services were both at the scene. According to the BBC, ferry company Pentland Ferries said all 56 adults, three children and an infant on board were safe before adding the safety of passengers is its ‘first priority’.

The Scottish ferry company sails across the Pentland Firth from Gills Bay in Caithness to St Margaret’s Hope on the Orkney Islands. The Pentalina was brought back into service earlier this week after another ferry, the MV Alfred, was moved to service other routes to islands on Scotland’s west coast.

Last July, the MV Alfred also ran aground in the Pentland Firth in Swona with 97 people on board who were soon transferred to lifeboats.The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union said the MV Pentalina was "taking on water with a fire in the engine room", describing it as a "major incident".

Following the incident, Scottish transport minister Kevin Stewart tweeted he was "sorry" to hear of the incident, but that "all on board are safe and well and that emergency services are in attendance".