- According to the Dutch water authority, the burning car freighter has arrived at its new, temporary anchorage.
- Two tugboats towed the “Fremantle Highway” to the new position over several hours.
- The emergency services want to inspect the ship as soon as possible. Finally the fire lasted.
According to the authorities, the transport went smoothly. The position of the ship is stable. The transport was accompanied by salvage experts and a Coast Guard plane. A special ship that can clear oil was also there. Until now, the freighter was in the north of the island of Terschelling.
According to information from the authorities, the new anchorage is safer and more sheltered from the wind. The “Fremantle Highway” is no longer close to shipping traffic. The freighter is to remain there until a port is found. First, the fire on board must be extinguished.
Legend:
The “Fremantle Highway” on July 30, 2023.
AP/Kustwacht Nederland
The transport was a risky venture because the ship with around 3800 cars on board is still burning. The fire had become significantly weaker, it said. But the danger that the steel walls can no longer withstand the heat remains high.
In the event of cracks or even a breakup and capsizing, an oil spill threatens – a catastrophe for the North Sea, the particularly protected Wadden Sea with its bird areas and the islanders. So far, the fire cannot be extinguished in a targeted manner. Extinguishing water could cause the ship to capsize.
Battery fire suspected as the cause
The freighter was on its way from Bremerhaven to Singapore when fire broke out on Wednesday night. At that time he was off the island of Ameland. One person died during the evacuation of the crew. The source of the fire may have been the battery of an electric car. But that hasn’t been confirmed yet. The ship also had far more electric cars on board than previously reported, namely 500 instead of 25.
The Japanese owner of the ship must pay the cost of the entire operation. In turn, the authorities of the flag state of Panama are responsible for investigating the cause of the fire.