The burning freighter has arrived at its new provisional anchorage after a risky transport along the Dutch Wadden Sea islands. This was announced by the water authority in The Hague on Monday. Two tugboats had towed the “Fremantle Highway” eastwards since Sunday evening – up to about 16 kilometers north of the islands of Schiermonnikoog and Ameland. 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.
It was a risky venture because the ship with around 3800 cars on board is still burning. However, the fire had become significantly weaker, it said. It was feared that there would be cracks in the steel walls and that oil could leak out. If the ship breaks up or capsizes, there is a risk of environmental pollution.
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. The freighter is to remain there until a port is found. First, the fire on board must be extinguished.
The ship is owned by a Japanese shipping company. It was on the way from Bremerhaven to Singapore when the fire broke out on Wednesday night last week. One person died during the evacuation. The source of the fire could be the battery of an electric car. But that still needs to be investigated.
