Cargo ship fire could last for weeks; no-fly zone over the area

The fire on the cargo ship near Ameland was still not extinguished on Wednesday afternoon. According to the Coast Guard, putting out the fire could take days or even weeks. "We have to wait and see how it develops," a spokesperson said. A no-fly zone has been implemented over the area where the burning cargo ship is located, according to the Dutch Air Traffic Control (LVNL)

The Fremantle Highway, which flies under the flag of Panama, sent a distress signal around midnight. The ship, which carries 2857 cars, including 25 electric vehicles, was en route to Egypt from Germany. It is located approximately 27 kilometers off the coast of Ameland, an island in the Wadden Sea. According to a Coast Guard spokesperson, the fire broke out on the vehicle deck, but the exact cause remains unknown.

It is currently impossible to put out the fire onboard the cargo ship. As Edwin Granneman from the Coast Guard told NOS, "No fire-fighting efforts are underway on the ship itself, nor is water being sprayed onto the ship from the sea." He explained this was a deliberate strategy to maintain the ship's stability as filling it with water could cause it to tilt or capsize. Furthermore, putting out fires in electric vehicles presents its own set of challenges.

Granneman outlined three potential scenarios. Firstly, the ship might sink, but every effort is being made to prevent this from happening, and, for now, the ship remains stable. The second possibility is to tow the ship to shore. "To successfully implement this, people would actually need to board the ship. Whether this is possible given the current conditions is still uncertain," he said. The third option is to let the ship burn out, a process that, according to Granneman, could take weeks.

If the ship does sink, it would be a disaster for the North Sea and the Wadden Sea, Ewout van Galen of Stichting De Noordzee said to ANP. “It means that the ship with its fuel and the cargo of thousands of cars will end up on the North Sea floor. A potential disaster for the environment, and it is to be hoped that the ship can be salvaged and the pollution remains limited.”

The ship's owner, Shoei Kisen Kaisha, suggested that the fire likely started from one of the electric cars onboard. He is unsure about the specific car brands being transported on the ship. Kaisha indicated that the immediate priority is to extinguish the fire. "Once we've done that, we'll try to get permission to bring the ship into a port," he said to NOS.

A no-fly zone has been implemented over the area where the burning cargo ship is located, according to the Dutch Air Traffic Control (LVNL). It is a temporary ban requested by the Coast Guard to allow space for emergency services. According to the Coast Guard, the flight ban is not related to potentially hazardous substances that might be released.

Crew members treated in Emmen, Groningen, Drachten, and Leeuwarden hospitals

There were 23 crew members on board the cargo ship when the fire started. One died, and several got hurt. The rescue services removed all crew members from the ship, rescuing some from the water after they jumped overboard. Seven crew members jumped overboard and were picked up by vessels on site, and the rest were airlifted by Coastguard helicopters, the Coastguard reported earlier.

Sixteen struggled with breathing problems from smoke inhalation, according to RTL Nieuws. They were not in critical danger and were taken by helicopter to the Ede airfield. The other seven, including the deceased person, were taken to Lauwersoog. From there, they went to hospitals in Emmen, Groningen, Drachten, and Leeuwarden with various injuries.

The nationality of all those on board was Indian. It is believed that the 23 crew members of the cargo ship have little or no family in the Netherlands. Relatives who have been unable to reach their affected family member can contact the ship's agent Maripro.

Maripro represents the ship's company in the Netherlands. Later on Wednesday, the organization will receive a list detailing where each crew member is receiving medical treatment, as per information from the safety regions. Maripro chose not to release further details on Wednesday afternoon. "Something terrible happened. We first have to see what is going on," said Arie Boer, the director of the organization, who did not want to comment further.