The car carrier ‘Fremantle Highway,’ which caught fire off the Dutch coast on Tuesday night, was transporting close to 500 electric vehicles, according to ship charter company “K” Line. This number is significantly higher than the initial report by the coastguard, which stated 25 cars.
Tragically, the incident resulted in the death of one Indian crew member, and seven others were injured while attempting to escape the flames by jumping overboard.
Among the 3,783 vehicles on board the Panamanian-registered vessel, 498 were battery-electric vehicles, confirmed a spokesperson for K Line, a Tokyo-based company that had chartered the ship. However, specific details about the car brands were not disclosed, including whether Japanese manufacturers were involved.
While the exact cause of the fire remains unknown, an emergency responder mentioned in a recording released by Dutch broadcaster RTL that the fire started in the battery of an electric car. EV lithium-ion batteries burn with twice the energy of a regular fire, and maritime officials and insurers have expressed concerns about the industry’s preparedness for such incidents.
The Panama Maritime Authority has initiated an investigation into the incident, with the Netherlands providing assistance to the inquiry, led by the Dutch Safety Board.
As of now, the 199-meter (653 ft) long Fremantle Highway is still ablaze and drifting about 17 km from the northernmost Dutch coast. The vessel was en route from Germany to Egypt when the fire occurred.
This area near the northern tip of the Netherlands comprises part of the Wadden Sea, an expanse of tidal flats and marshlands along Germany and Denmark that holds UNESCO World Heritage status.
