Fire on board the Car Carrier Fremantle Highway: Updates and Investigation

The fire on board the car carrier Fremantle Highway has subsided and there are no signs of it still burning. The ship is currently anchored 16 kilometers away from the islands of Schiermonnikoog and Ameland in the North Sea. Rijkswaterstaat, a Dutch government agency, is actively responding to the incident and reports that the Fremantle Highway remains stable with a tug connected. The MS Arca, an oil recovery vessel, is patrolling nearby to detect any potential oil pollution, but so far there have been no signs of it.

Salvors from Multraship and Smit Salvage have been able to board the vessel for an initial inspection while it remains at its temporary anchorage away from shipping lanes. Rijkswaterstaat reports that there are no indications of an ongoing fire, and the ship is intact below the waterline. The next step is to develop a plan for towing the vessel to a final destination, which has yet to be determined. Rijkswaterstaat is working in constant consultation with all parties involved to determine the ship’s destination and the appropriate time to begin moving it, taking into account the situation on board the ship and expected weather conditions.

In related news, the ship’s charterer, “K” Line, has reported that most of the personnel who were hospitalized following the incident have been released, with only the ship’s Captain and a pilot remaining in the hospital. There were a total of 23 personnel on board during the fire, including 21 Indian crew members, a pilot, and a superintendent. Tragically, one of the Indian crew members lost their life. The Fremantle Highway was en route from Germany to Egypt when the fire broke out. “K” Line has clarified that there were 3,783 new vehicles on board, including 498 electric vehicles, which is significantly more than initially reported.

The Panama Maritime Authority will be conducting an investigation into the incident as the authority of the ship’s flag state, with support from the Dutch Safety Board.

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