At least 100 cruise ship passengers have been left stranded in Southport after a gas leak forced the closure of part of the port. The incident occurred at Dock Gates 4 and 5, just hours before Cunard's Queen Anne was due to depart at 4pm.
Chaos at Southampton Docks
Passengers waiting to board the cruise ship are facing what has been described as 'complete chaos' following the gas leak. Around 100 people have been stranded in the VOCO hotel in Southampton as a result of the closure.
Long queues of traffic have built up on roads around the terminal, including West Quay Road and the Itchen Bridge, as the situation unfolds.
Passengers Affected
Among those affected are Susan Drecksler, 72, and her husband Lawrence, 77, who has Parkinson's disease. Mrs Drecksler, from London, expressed her frustration, stating: 'The whole point of coming to Southampton is you get dropped off, they put you in a wheelchair. We can't walk. Somehow we have to get some assistance. It's complete chaos.'
She added: 'It's awful, it's a really expensive holiday. It's a lovely thing, our 20th anniversary, and we were just hoping to get on the ship. Now we're stuck in a hotel, it's the no knowledge bit that's the worst. First they said it could be half an hour, now they're saying three to four.'
Response from Authorities
ABP, which runs Southampton Port, confirmed that the leak was adjacent to the Ocean Cruise Terminal. An ABP spokesperson said: 'We are working at pace to address this situation and reopen access as soon as possible. We apologise for the inconvenience this has caused. We will update customers and stakeholders as the situation develops.'
Southampton City Council stated that Dock Gates 4 and 5 have been evacuated and that an engineer is currently inspecting the leak. Cars are queuing along Platform Road, Town Quay, and West Quay Road. A council spokesman said: 'There has been a gas leak affecting Dock Gate 4 and 5. Both gates have been evacuated. An engineer is currently inspecting the leak.'
The Mirror has contacted ABP for further comment. This is a breaking news story and updates will follow as more information becomes available.
