A cargo ship carrying more than 3,000 cars that has been ablaze off the Dutch coast for nearly a week has been towed to a new temporary position, as authorities race to prevent an ecological disaster.
The 41-mile (66km) operation to move the Fremantle Highway vessel began on Sunday and was carried out “without any problem”, the Rijkswaterstaat national water management agency said.
The cause of the fire that broke out last Tuesday remains unclear, though the vessel’s owner has said one of the electric vehicles onboard may have been the source.
One sailor died after he and 22 others were rescued from the burning ship, with some crew members forced to jump overboard. Most have since been discharged from hospital.
The ship is now 10 miles north of the islands of Schiermonnikoog and Ameland, but concerns remain about the effect of pollutants on the waters and a nearby archipelago of ecologically sensitive islands in the Wadden Sea.
The area is a Unesco world heritage site and has a rich diversity of more than 10,000 aquatic and terrestrial species. This includes more than 140 species of fish, of which about 20 spend their entire lives in the tidal areas along the islands’ mud flats.
The ship’s new position is better suited “for the different scenarios and weather conditions expected”, the authorities said, with Dutch broadcaster NOS adding that it was also out of busy shipping lanes.
A vessel that specialises in responding to oil spills is stationed nearby and authorities are hoping to be able to inspect the cargo ship soon.
The Fremantle Highway had nearly 500 electric vehicles onboard when it caught fire. Ship charter company “K” Line said on Friday that there were a total of 3,783 vehicles on board the ship.
In March 2022 a cargo ship carrying about 4,000 Volkswagen cars, including some electric models, caught fire and sank off the coast of the Azores in the Atlantic Ocean.
Reuters and Agence France-Presse contributed to this report
• This article was amended on 1 August 2023 to clarify that there are “more than” 3,000 cars aboard the vessel, and to include reference to the shipping company’s figure for the exact total.
