2023-07-29 17:44:00
“Fremantle Highway” Risky maneuver planned: Burning freighter is to be towed in the North Sea
An emergency tug fought the flames on the burning freighter “Fremantle Highway” in the North Sea
© Coast Guard Netherlands / DPA
The fire on the freighter “Fremantle Highway” has weakened. The ship is now to be relocated – a daring manoeuvre.
Preparations for the risky towing of the burning freighter have started off the Dutch coast. Salvage experts still wanted the “Fremantle Highway” eastwards to the Wadden Sea island of Schiermonnikoog. The new anchorage in the North Sea should be safer. The ship with around 3800 cars on board is currently north of the island of Terschelling. According to the water authority, when the towing maneuver can start depends on the tides , the weather and smoke development.
Everything is being done to prevent environmental damage, said the authority in The Hague. “No direct consequences for the Wadden Islands and their inhabitants and nature are expected.”
But there are concerns at the future Schiermonnikoog anchorage. “We keep up to date and hold our breath,” Mayor Ineke van Gent tweeted on Saturday. However, the authorities had assured that the transport would be well accompanied.
The fire on the freighter loaded with around 3,800 cars has weakened but still not extinguished. A breakup, capsizing or sinking of the ship is still possible and could lead to an environmental disaster in the North Sea. The islands and the Unesco World Heritage Wadden Sea would be threatened. An oil slick could drift into neighboring Germany.
One dead in fire on ‘Fremantle Highway’
For days, a special ship that can clear oil has been lying next to the burning freighter and is supposed to accompany it. Other ships are said to be on call for emergencies.
The trip in the north of the Wadden Sea islands should take 12 to 14 hours. After that, the freighter will remain about 16 kilometers north of Schiermonnikoog until a port is found. It is not yet known which port this could be.
The new location was chosen for security reasons. Because until now the burning freighter was exactly between two very busy shipping routes to and from Germany. In addition, the new anchorage should be more sheltered from the wind.
On Friday, four salvage specialists were on board the Fremantle Highway for the first time since the fire broke out. They had been able to establish a stable connection to a tug and checked the ship’s stability. Despite the fire and the intense heat, the ship was intact below the waterline, the water authority said.
The freighter was on its way from Bremerhaven to Singapore when fire broke out on Wednesday night. One person died during the evacuation of the crew. How the fire started is not yet clear. The fire is believed to have started in the battery of an electric car. There are almost 500 electric cars on board – far more than the 25 that were initially reported. The Japanese owner has to pay the costs of the salvage. He is also liable for possible environmental damage.
cl APD
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