2023-07-31 02:52:57
A slow and meticulous operation to avoid an ecological catastrophe. The towing of the burning freighter off the Netherlands, with thousands of cars on board, began on Sunday, a day later than expected due to the wind, authorities announced, adding that the fire on board had “significantly” reduced in intensity.
The movement of the Fremantle Highway “started in the early afternoon”, almost five days after the start of the blaze, announced the Dutch National Institute for Water Management (Rijkswaterstaat), in a press release.
He said there was “considerably less smoke this afternoon” on the Panamanian-flagged freighter which, according to the K Line transport company which chartered the ship, carries 3,783 new cars, including 498 electric vehicles.
The freighter must be moved to a new temporary location: 16 km north of the islands of Schiermonnikoog and Ameland, a few dozen kilometers east of its last official position, 18 km north of Terschelling.
Towed at 5.5 km/h
These Dutch islands straddle the Wadden Sea, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with a diversity of more than 10,000 aquatic and terrestrial species, and the North Sea. An oil intervention boat is nearby, according to the authorities who hope to eventually tow the cargo ship to a port in order to avoid an ecological disaster.
The freighter is “towed slowly and in a controlled manner (approximately 3 knots, 5.5 km per hour) by 2 tugs”, specified the Rijkswaterstaat. Saturday’s scheduled tow was postponed due to a southwesterly wind which was “sucking” smoke over the tug, posing a health risk to the crew.
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“The stability of the ship is constantly monitored,” insisted the Rijkswaterstaat, which indicated on Friday that the cargo ship was intact below the waterline. The duration of the tow depends “on the weather conditions, the development of smoke, the current and the tide”. The operation had previously been estimated at around 14 hours.
The 18,500-ton cargo ship left the German port of Bremerhaven for Port Said in Egypt before heading back to Singapore, its final destination. The cause of the fire overnight Wednesday is unknown, but one of the electric cars on board could be the cause. One of the 23 crew members evacuated died, several were injured.
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