One crew member on board died and several injured after a major fire on a car carrier in the North Sea about 27 kilometers north of Ameland, the Dutch coastguard said.
Around midnight on July 26, the Coast Guard Center received a report that there was a fire on the car carrier Fremantle Highway. There were 23 crew members onboard and, at that time, the ship was sailing 27 kilometers north of Ameland.
The crew attempted to extinguish the fire themselves, but were unsuccessful. The fire continued to spread, prompting an evacuation. The crew members were evacuated by helicopters and lifeboats. According to Dutch Coast Guard, one crew member died and several were injured. The people onboard were taken to Lauwersoog and Eelde airport. There they were taken care of by paramedics.
The car carrier Fremantle Highway is still on fire, in accordance with the latest information given by the coast guard.
Boats and helicopters were used to get the 23 crew members off the ship. Several emergency services were still present near the blazing ship, which sails under a Panamanian flag.
Several parties are working on a plan of action to limit the damage as much as possible.
All 23 crew members were evacuated from the burning vessel. Part of the crew is brought ashore by a KNRM vessel and part of the crew is brought ashore by helicopter.
The ship Fremantle Highway is currently located approximately 27 kilometers north of the coast of Ameland.
Het schip staat nog in brand. Het bergingsvaartuig Hunter heeft een noodverbinding met het schip en houdt het schip zo gecontroleerd op een positie. Meerdere partijen werken aan een plan van aanpak om de schade zoveel mogelijk te beperken. pic.twitter.com/EYFTJJaHVo
— Kustwacht Nederland (@Kustwacht_nl) July 26, 2023
