Police revisit death fire scene

Detectives investigating the deaths of three men in a fishing boat fire at Fraserburgh Harbour aim to discover more about their last movements.

The crew died when Vision II was hit by fire in the early hours of last Friday.

Police hope to find out more of their final hours on Thursday evening, a week after the lead-up to the tragedy.

Grampian Police were visiting the harbour at Fraserburgh where the victims, believed to be two Filipinos and an East European, died in the fire.

At the height of the blaze, more than 40 firefighters from four stations were at the harbour, where Vision II was docked.

Firefighters used breathing apparatus and thermal imaging cameras as they tackled the flames.

"We shall be visiting pubs, off licences and restaurants asking patrons if they saw the three men"
Det Insp Martin Dunn
Grampian Police

Coastguard and lifeboat teams also went to assist.

The 90ft vessel had recently changed hands and was about three-and-a-half years old.

It was undergoing a refit and rename, from Amethyst.

It is thought foreign crew members sometimes sleep on the boats in the harbour.

Det Insp Martin Dunn said: "We shall be carrying out an operation in the area in an effort to try to shed light on the circumstances which led up to this appalling tragedy which has cast a gloom over the town and the fishing community in particular.

"We shall be visiting pubs, off licences and restaurants asking patrons if they saw the three men either separately or together on the night of 31 July or shortly before 1.30am when the fire broke out."

"There is a strong possibility that the men had gone ashore during the evening and it may well be that several people either saw them or spoke to them during that time."

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) is investigating the fire.

It is not being treated by police as suspicious.

Bertie Armstrong, chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen's Federation, said at the time: "Nothing can be done for these three people who died.

"The question now is how did this happen and how can we avoid this happening again?"

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