Photo taken on the same day that the fire broke out on board the Freemantle Highway. Now it burns less, according to the coast guard. Photo: The Dutch Coast Guard / AP / NTB
For the first time since a fire broke out on board a cargo ship with cars outside the Netherlands, salvage crews have boarded. The fire is now less intense.
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The temperature on board the Fremantle Highway has dropped, a Coast Guard spokesperson said late Friday.
The ship, which has around 3,800 cars on board, is now lying calmly around 17 kilometers north of the island of Terschelling and is being held in place by a tugboat.
Background: Can’t save ships on fire
The rescue crews were a quick trip on board and have put in place a new and more robust solution for towing.
– This makes it easier to move the ship and to keep it under control, says the coast guard’s spokesperson.
The fire, which broke out on Wednesday morning, is now less intense and the ship is stable. It is still intact below the waterline, according to the Coast Guard. The crew was evacuated from the ship, but one person has died.
At first it was reported that 25 electric cars were on board the cargo ship, but it is about 500, according to the Dutch news agency ANP. It is uncertain what this means for extinguishing, but the batteries in electric cars make them more difficult to extinguish. Experts have speculated that the fire started in an electric car, but this has not been confirmed.
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Published: 29/07/23 at 05:27
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2023-07-29 03:27:08
#Rescue #crews #board #burning #ships
