Sailors injured after falling from ship

A fourth man on board the ship was later taken to hospital

Three sailors are in hospital, one with serious head injuries, following an accident at Belfast Docks.

The men fell from a Turkish-registered ship which had already been detained at the docks because of safety fears.

It is understood the men were carrying out a safety test on a lifeboat on the Gulser Ana when a line snapped, plunging them 40 feet into the water.

The accident happened at about 0930 BST on Wednesday.

The three men were rescued by the Harbour Pilot boat after spending some time in the water.

One of them suffered serious head injuries and the other two are thought to be being treated for hypothermia.

A fourth man who was on board the ship was later taken to hospital suffering from shock.

The cause of the accident is being investigated by officials from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.