Burned-out car carrier arrived at Dutch port for salvage

[August 03, 2023]  AMSTERDAM (Reuters) -The car carrier that caught fire last week off the coast of the Netherlands has arrived at the northern Dutch port of Eemshaven for salvage, officials there said on Thursday.   

The ship Fremantle Highway is pictured in its temporary location, 16 kilometers above Schiermonnikoog and Ameland, July 31, 2023. Coastguard Netherlands/Handout via REUTERS

One crew member died when the blaze broke out on the Fremantle Highway on July 26 as it was travelling from Germany to Egypt. Seven others who jumped overboard to escape the flames were injured.

"Most of the ship has now been inspected and there are no indications that there is still fire on board," the Dutch Ministry of Public Works and Water Management said in a statement.

Safety experts remained on board the Panama-registered ship during the 64-km (40-mile) towing operation which started north of the islands of Ameland and Schiermonnikoog in difficult weather, the ministry added.

Ship charter company "K" Line said on Friday there were 3,783 vehicles on board, including 498 electric vehicles.

An investigation has been launched into the cause of the fire.

An emergency responder was heard in a recording released by Dutch broadcaster RTL as saying "the fire started in the battery of an electric car." But that has not been confirmed by authorities.

(Reporting by Geert De Clercq, Charlotte Van Campenhout; Editing by Sharon SingletonEditing by Bernadette Baum, Kim Coghill and Andrew Heavens)

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