Burning Cargo Ship Off Dutch Coast Might Cause Ecological Disaster, Fear Experts

Salvage experts began towing a burning freighter ship off the coast of the Netherlands to a less hazardous location, the authorities said.

According to a report from DW, the Panamanian-registered Fremantle Highway has been burning since Tuesday, and the effort to put out the fire and move the ship has been meticulously done in the fear of sinking the ship and causing an "ecological disaster."

While on its way from Germany to Egypt, the fire broke out, resulting in the death of one crew member.

The remaining members of the 23-person crew were rescued by helicopter. According to local Dutch officials, the injured crew was being treated for respiratory problems, burns, and fractured bones.

Towing efforts

According to Rijkswaterstaat, the Netherlands' national water management agency, the towing began late Sunday afternoon.

The ship is being slowly pulled to a location around 16 kilometers (about 10 miles) north of the islands of Schiermonnikoog and Ameland, a few dozen kilometers from where it was struck.

"There was considerably less smoke on the cargo ship this afternoon," the government agency said, as quoted by the Associated Press.

Experts are constantly monitoring the ship's stability, and a specialized boat designed to clean up oil spills is nearby in case of a spill.

The initial plan for the towing process was originally set for Saturday; however, due to the southeasterly wind, it was determined that it was not yet safe to begin the operation.

The tow was expected to take up to 14 hours, depending on weather conditions, smoke, and the tide.

Fear for Ecological disaster

According to a Japan-based charter company, K Line, the ship was carrying 3,783 vehicles, including 498 electric vehicles.

The spokesperson for the company, that chartered the vessel declined to comment on the car brands, including whether any Japanese cars were included, Reuters reported.

Authorities were concerned that the car components, batteries, and fuel would affect the environmentally sensitive site and its people.

The burning ship lies close to the shallow Wadden Sea nature reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage-listed area that is one of the world's most important migrating bird habitats.

It's also close to the border between the Netherlands and Germany, whose environment minister, Steffi Lemke, has warned of "an environmental catastrophe of unknown proportions" if the ship sinks, according to ABC News.

The source of the fire is still unknown, but the ship's owner believes it started on one of the electric vehicles, whose lithium-ion batteries are difficult to extinguish and can spontaneously restart after catching fire or exploding.

The Panama Maritime Authority has initiated an investigation, with the Netherlands aiding the probe, according to the Dutch Safety Board.

The fire was the most recent in a string of incidents involving automobile transporters. Earlier this month, two New Jersey firefighters were killed and five were injured while battling a fire on a cargo ship carrying hundreds of vehicles, while another fire in February last year damaged thousands of luxury cars on a ship off the coast of Portugal's Azores islands.

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