Massive fire breaks out on board of cargo ship off Dutch coast; Indian crew member killed, 20 injured

When a massive fire broke out on board a cargo ship carrying approximately 3,000 automobiles off the coast of the Netherlands, an Indian crew member was killed and 20 others were injured, with Dutch coastguards warning that the inferno may continue for several days.

The fire broke out on the 199-metre Panama-registered Fremantle Highway on Tuesday night, en route from Germany to Egypt. Several members of the crew were forced to leap overboard.

According to a social media statement by the Indian Embassy in the Netherlands, the fire killed one Indian person.

“We are deeply saddened by the incident involving Ship Fremantle Highway’ in the North Sea, resulting in the death of an Indian seafarer & injuries to the crew,” it said in a tweet on Wednesday.

We are deeply saddened by the incident involving Ship ‘Fremantle Highway’ in North Sea, resulting in the death of an Indian seafarer & injuries to the crew. Embassy of India is in touch with family of the deceased & is assisting in repatriation of the mortal remains @MEAIndia

— IndiainNetherlands (@IndinNederlands) July 26, 2023

The embassy stated that it is in contact with the deceased's relatives and is aiding in the repatriation of the lifeless remains.

"Embassy is also in touch with the remaining 20 injured crew members, who are safe and receiving medical attention. All possible assistance is being extended in coordination with the Dutch authorities and the shipping company," it said.

A representative for the Dutch Coastguard told CNN on Wednesday that rescue boats and helicopters were used to remove the 23 crew members off the ship after some of them leapt in the ocean.

According to the article, images show grey smoke pouring from the ship amid worries that it may sink 27 kilometres north of the Dutch island of Ameland, off the Wadden Sea, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is regarded as one of the most significant places for migrating birds in the world.

According to the Dutch national network NOS, one of the 25 electric cars on board may have ignited the fire.

Dutch firefighters were still struggling to put out the fire on the cargo ship some 16 hours after the blaze started, a Dutch coastguard said.

It could take hours, days, or even weeks to make sure the fire is completely out, a spokesman said, adding that it is currently too dangerous to put firefighters on the ship.

If you start filling the ship with water, you risk destabilising it and that could tip it over, spokesman Edwin Grammeman told NOS.

According to the coastguard, a distress call came when the ship was some 30 kilometres off the coast of the Wadden Sea island of Ameland.

The 23 crew members on board the Panamanian-flagged ship attempted to put out the fire themselves, but the blaze spread too fast. Specialised firefighters were brought in from Rotterdam but the situation had already become too dangerous by the time they arrived, the Dutch News reported.

Seven of the crew jumped into the sea and were picked up by nearby ships. The remaining crew members were rescued by helicopters. It is not clear how the person who died was killed, it said.

The authorities are now focusing their efforts on preventing the listing ship from sinking. A tugboat from the Wadden Island water taxi service Rederij Noordgat was able to attach a rope to the Fremantle Highway and prevent it from drifting into shipping lanes.

Other boats are on standby to try to help pull the vessel to safety.