One Killed as Ship Carrying 3K Cars Burns off Dutch Coast

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Facts

  • One crew member died and another 16 have been taken to hospital on Wednesday after a fire blazed on a cargo ship carrying some 3K cars off the Dutch coast, 30 km (18 mi) north of the island of Ameland.1
  • The 199-meter Panama-registered Fremantle Highway was on its way from Germany to Egypt when the fire started, prompting seven crew members to jump overboard and a helicopter to airlift the remaining members of the 23-strong crew.2
  • A major salvage operation is currently underway in the North Sea with rescue teams trying to extinguish the blaze and keep the craft afloat after a tugboat was used to drag the cargo ship out of major shipping routes.3
  • A potential sinking of the Fremantle Highway would allegedly be a "disaster of the highest order" as it is close to Ameland, one of four ecologically sensitive islands in the UN-designated Waddenzee World Heritage site, just north of the Dutch mainland.4
  • According to the Dutch coastguard, the fire was probably caused by one of the 25 electric vehicles the cargo ship was transporting.5
  • This incident brings back the memory of the Felicity Ace disaster that took place in February of last year. That craft was also carrying thousands of vehicles and an electric vehicle fire was reportedly responsible for the blaze and sinking.6

Sources: 1DutchNews.nl, 2Reuters, 3BBC News, 4Guardian, 5Daily Mail, and 6Road & Track.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by Washington Examiner. Vehicles that use lithium-ion batteries pose a significant fire risk to cargo ships, compromising the safety of those onboard with the hazards of explosion, toxic gases, and thermal runaway. Unless the ship systems and its crew are able to handle that risk, transporting such cars poses an extraordinary risk.
  • Narrative B, as provided by EV Fire Safe. While tragic fires onboard car-carrying vessels are frequent, such incidents only hit the headlines when involving electric vehicles. While there are obvious risks when transporting electric vehicles on ships, a recent study has concluded that the risk is about the same as conventional automobiles.

Predictions