Cargo ship catches fire off Dutch coast; Indian crew member killed, 20 injured

London: Off the coast of the Netherlands, a large fire broke out on board a cargo ship carrying roughly 3,000 cars, leaving one Indian crew member dead and 20 others hurt. Dutch coastguards had issued a warning that the fire would burn for several days.

The 199-meter Fremantle Highway, registered in Panama and travelling from Germany to Egypt, caught fire on Tuesday night. The situation required several crew members to jump overboard.

The Indian Embassy in the Netherlands said in a social media post the fire had resulted in the death of an Indian national.

“We are deeply saddened by the incident involving Ship ‘Fremantle Highway’ in the North Sea, resulting in the death of an Indian seafarer & injuries to the crew,” it said in a tweet on Wednesday.

The embassy said it was in touch with the family of the deceased and is assisting in the repatriation of the mortal remains.

“Embassy is also in touch with the remaining 20 injured crew members, who are safe and receiving medical attention. All possible assistance is being extended in coordination with the Dutch authorities and the shipping company,” it said.

Rescue boats and helicopters were used to get the 23 crew members off the ship after some had jumped in the water, a spokesperson for the Dutch Coastguard told CNN on Wednesday.

Pictures show grey smoke emitting from the ship amid fears the vessel could sink 27 kilometres north of the Dutch island, Ameland, off the Wadden Sea – a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is considered one of the most important regions for migratory birds in the world, the report said.

The fire may have been started by one of the 25 electric cars on board, according to Dutch national broadcaster NOS.

Dutch firefighters were still struggling to put out the fire on the cargo ship some 16 hours after the blaze started, a Dutch coastguard said.

It could take hours, days, or even weeks to make sure the fire is completely out, a spokesman said, adding that it is currently too dangerous to put firefighters on the ship.

“If you start filling the ship with water, you risk destabilising it and that could tip it over,” spokesman Edwin Grammeman told NOS.

According to the coastguard, a distress call came when the ship was some 30 kilometres off the coast of the Wadden Sea island of Ameland.

The 23 crew members on board the Panamanian-flagged ship attempted to put out the fire themselves, but the blaze spread too fast. Specialised firefighters were brought in from Rotterdam but the situation had already become too dangerous by the time they arrived, the Dutch News reported.

Seven of the crew jumped into the sea and were picked up by nearby ships. The remaining crew members were rescued by helicopters. It is not clear how the person who died was killed, it said.

The authorities are now focusing their efforts on preventing the listing ship from sinking. A tugboat from the Wadden Island water taxi service Rederij Noordgat was able to attach a rope to the Fremantle Highway and prevent it from drifting into shipping lanes.

Other boats are on standby to try to help pull the vessel to safety.

With PTI inputs