A car-carrying cargo ship burning near a Dutch bird habitat stokes environmental worries
A cargo ship packed with cars is still burning close to a world-renowned bird habitat off the coast of the Netherlands
THE HAGUE, Netherlands — A cargo ship packed with cars burned close to a world-renowned bird habitat off the Dutch coast Thursday as firefighters and salvage crews waited for the flames from a fire that started more than a day earlier to subside before attempting to board the vessel.
The Fremantle Highway was sailing from the German port of Bremerhaven to Singapore when it caught fire in the North Sea shortly before midnight Tuesday about 27 kilometers (17 miles) north of the Dutch island of Ameland, sparking fears of an environmental disaster.
One crew member died and others were injured early Wednesday. The entire crew, made up of 21 Indian nationals, has been evacuated from the ship. The cause of the fire hasn’t been established.
The coast guard of the Netherlands said “the situation at the moment is stable.” The agency released a photo after a flyover Thursday that showed smoke still pouring from the ship and drifting low over the slate-gray sea.
The coast guard said late Thursday afternoon that crews were using the tide to turn the ship so it would “drift east again with the support of a tugboat.” The maneuver would allow the ship to continue floating between two shipping lanes and remain some 16 kilometers (10 miles) off the Dutch coast.
“Because of the wind and current, it is not possible to keep the ship in one place,” the agency said.
The Japanese-owned ship is close to a chain of islands and the World Heritage-listed Wadden Sea, an important habitat for migratory birds.
The Dutch coast guard said Wednesday that the vessel was carrying 2,857 cars, including 25 electric cars. Some reports
Read more on abcnews.go.com
