Three people die in fishing boat blaze

Three people are dead after a fire tore through a fishing trawler moored in a harbour, police said.

Emergency services went to the scene at Fraserburgh harbour, Aberdeenshire, at around 1.30am after the alarm was raised.

Police said that the identity of those who died had not yet been established.

They will carry out a joint investigation with Grampian Fire and Rescue into the cause of the fire but are not saying whether or not the fire was suspicious.

The Scottish Ambulance Service said they sent an ambulance and paramedics to the scene, but did not treat anyone or take anyone to hospital.

Grampian Fire and Rescue said 43 firefighters were involved in tackling the fire at the height of the blaze.

Incident Commander David Rout, of Grampian Fire and Rescue, said the first three crews to arrive at the scene found a "severe" fire and three more appliances were called in to help.

He said: "The fire crews encountered an extremely demanding and hazardous situation in relation to the intense heat and smoke that was being generated by the fire.

"Unfortunately the search and rescue team located three fatalities on board the vessel."

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