Ameland rescue: Ship with 3,000 cars in deadly fire off Dutch coast

A occurrence connected a cargo vessel carrying astir 3,000 cars disconnected the seashore of the Dutch land of Ameland has near 1 sailor dormant and 22 others hurt.

A large salvage cognition is successful afloat plaything successful an country of the North Sea designated a World Heritage site.

Twenty-two unit members were taken to infirmary with breathing problems, burns and different injuries.

A Dutch coastguard spokesperson said the occurrence was astir apt caused by 1 of 25 electrical vehicles connected committee the ship.

Photos shared by the coastguard showed the Panamanian-flagged Freemantle Highway engulfed successful fume with flames licking the deck.

The coastguard told Dutch quality bureau ANP the occurrence could proceed for days. The sides of the vessel were being doused with h2o to chill it down, but rescue boats avoided pouring excessively overmuch h2o connected committee due to the fact that of the hazard of sinking.

The cargo vessel near the larboard of Bremerhaven successful bluish Germany astatine astir 15:00 section clip connected Tuesday connected people for Port Said successful Egypt.

It ran into occupation overnight, astir 27km (17 miles) northbound of the Ameland successful the Wadden Sea, connected the borderline of the North Sea.

Members of the unit initially tried to douse the flames themselves but were overwhelmed and were yet forced to evacuate.

The skipper of the Ameland lifeboat, Willard Molenaar, told nationalist broadcaster NOS that 7 radical had leapt 30m into the sea: "One by 1 they jumped and we had to food them retired of the water. They were truly hopeless truthful they had to jump."

A tugboat was utilized to propulsion the cargo vessel retired of large shipping routes to and from Germany.

The freighter, which is operated by K-Line but owned by a subsidiary of the Japanese shipbuilding steadfast Imabari Shipbuilding, is presently stationary but the Dutch coastguard said it whitethorn beryllium listing.

The contiguous situation for exigency crews astatine the country is to extinguish the occurrence and support the cargo vessel afloat.

Salvage boats are circling, successful mentation for each imaginable scenarios.

The North Sea instauration biology radical said the Wadden Sea had go progressively susceptible due to the fact that of bigger ships utilizing an highly engaged shipping route.

Four years agone 270 shipping containers, immoderate containing chemicals, fell disconnected different Panamanian-registered cargo vessel successful a tempest and immoderate of the containers washed up connected Dutch beaches.

But this latest incidental has besides raised issues surrounding the risks of transporting electrical vehicles.

Last twelvemonth a cargo vessel carrying 4,000 luxury cars caught occurrence and sank disconnected the Azores. Lithium-ion batteries successful the cars caught occurrence and firefighters needed specializer instrumentality to enactment retired the fire.