Rescue specialists off the Dutch coast continued transporting the burning cargo ship to a new, less dangerous berth overnight. The ship, which is around 200 meters long, is scheduled to arrive there today, around 16 kilometers from the Wadden Sea island of Schiermonnikoog. Since yesterday evening, two tugboats had towed the “Fremantle Highway” eastwards, the responsible water authority in The Hague said. The freighter was previously off the island of Terschelling.
It is a risky venture as the ship with around 3800 cars on board is still burning and the risk of pollution remains. However, the authority assured that the ship would be constantly monitored and its stability checked. Several ships accompany the freighter, including a special ship that can clear oil.
Worry about an oil spill
Specialists had checked the car freighter beforehand and found that it was stable despite the great heat and was also intact below the waterline. “Other ships from the water authority and from Germany are also available on call if there is oil pollution,” the authority said.
According to the authorities, the smugglers drive slowly and in a controlled manner, at around 5.5 kilometers per hour. The salvage experts estimated that the transport should take 12 to 14 hours in total. However, they did not want to commit to an arrival time. “It depends on the smoke, the weather conditions and the current,” said a spokesman for the authority. You may also need to take breaks.
Still high risk
The new anchorage should be safer, less dense to ship traffic and also more protected from the wind. Until now, the ship was located exactly between two very busy shipping routes to and from Germany – like a burning truck loaded with oil on the green strip between two motorways.
At the new berth, the freighter will continue to be held in a stable position by two tugboats. As soon as the situation on board allows, it will be transferred to a port. It is not yet known what that is.
The fire that has been raging on the freighter since Wednesday has weakened. 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.
A human died
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. The authorities of the flag state of Panama are in turn responsible for investigating the cause of the fire.
