Ship carrying 3800 luxury cars burns in middle of the sea, fire expected to last for days

New Delhi, 28th July 2023: The Dutch coast guard, which is in charge of the situation has stated that, a cargo ship carrying over 3,800 cars and construction trucks is expected to burn for several more days. The Fremantle Highway caught fire in the early hours of Wednesday off the coast of the Netherlands.

One crew member tragically died, while numerous others were injured and were airlifted or carried by lifeboats for medical help. Several hundred automobiles from BMW AG and Mercedes-Benz Group AG are among the shipment. Efforts to put out the fire and handle the incident are still ongoing.

According to a coast guard official, the fire on the cargo ship was still blazing as of 12:30 p.m. Amsterdam time on Thursday, but the situation was considered stable. According to the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, towing or salvage operations cannot begin until the fire has been completely extinguished.

Extinguishing the fire, on the other hand, causes significant stability difficulties due to the likelihood of extra water in the ship. Personnel cannot board the vessel for the time being since it is unsafe. At this moment, the cause of the fire is unknown.

According to Bloomberg ship-tracking data, the Panama-flagged Fremantle Highway was on its way to Port Said, Egypt, after a recent stop in the German port of Bremerhaven. The Japanese firm that owns the vessel, Shoei Kisen Kaisha Ltd., indicated that the carrier’s eventual destination was Singapore.

The Dutch coast guard received information that 25 of the 3,783 vehicles and machinery on board were electric vehicles. The ship’s charter and operator, Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd., confirmed this information.

The companies’ representatives acknowledged that the cargo ship holds several hundred BMW and Mini cars, as well as around 300 Mercedes-Benz vehicles.

Ford Motor Co., Stellantis NV, Renault SA, and Nissan Motor Co., on the other hand, have declared that they do not have any automobiles on the vessel. Toyota Motor Corp. stated that the carmaker is unlikely to have any freight on board.

A spokeswoman for Volkswagen AG noted that the business is now undertaking an active inquiry but could not provide further specifics at this time. Tesla Inc., on the other hand, did not respond to a request for comment.

Reports of a fuel leak have not been confirmed by the coastguard however the cargo ship was passing close to the Wadden Sea UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is known as the world’s largest unbroken system of intertidal sand and mud flats. These habitats are exceedingly fragile, and an oil spill might cause substantial harm.