Indian crew member useless, 20 damage as cargo ship catches fireplace off Dutch coast

By Press Trust of India: An Indian crew member was killed and 20 others had been injured when a significant fireplace broke out on board a cargo vessel carrying almost 3,000 automobiles off the Netherlands coast, with Dutch coastguards warning that the blaze might final for a number of days.

The fireplace broke out on Tuesday night time on the 199-metre Panama-registered Fremantle Highway, which was en route from Germany to Egypt. Several crew members had been pressured to leap overboard.

The Indian Embassy within the Netherlands mentioned in a social media put up the fireplace had resulted within the loss of life of an Indian nationwide.

“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 mentioned in a tweet on Wednesday.

The embassy mentioned it was in contact with the household of the deceased and is aiding within the repatriation of the mortal stays.

“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 mentioned.

Rescue boats and helicopters had been used to get the 23 crew members off the ship after some had jumped within the water, a spokesperson for the Dutch coastguard instructed CNN on Wednesday.

Pictures present gray smoke emitting from the ship amid fears the vessel might sink 27 kilometers north of the Dutch island, Ameland, off the Wadden Sea – a UNESCO World Heritage Site that’s thought of one of the crucial necessary areas for migratory birds on this planet, the report mentioned.

The fireplace could have been began by one of many 25 electrical automobiles on board, in line with Dutch nationwide broadcaster NOS.

Dutch firefighters had been nonetheless struggling to place out the fireplace on the cargo ship some 16 hours after the blaze began, a Dutch coastguard mentioned.

It might take hours, days, and even weeks to verify the fireplace is totally out, a spokesman mentioned, including that it’s at present too harmful to place 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 instructed NOS.

According to the coastguard, a misery name got here 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 tried to place out the fireplace themselves, however the blaze unfold too quick. Specialised firefighters had been introduced in from Rotterdam however the scenario had already change into too harmful by the point they arrived, the Dutch News reported.

Seven of the crew jumped into the ocean and had been picked up by close by ships. The remaining crew members had been rescued by helicopters. It shouldn’t be clear how the one that died was killed, it mentioned.

The authorities are actually focusing their efforts on stopping the itemizing ship from sinking. A tugboat from the Wadden Island water taxi service Rederij Noordgat was in a position to connect a rope to the Fremantle Highway and forestall it from drifting into delivery lanes.

Other boats are on standby to attempt to assist pull the vessel to security.