What happened to Cargo Ship that was carrying 3,000 cars

A cargo ship carrying around 3,000 cars caught fire in the North Sea off the coast of the Netherlands on Wednesday, killing one crew member and injuring several others, the coastguard said.

Cause of fire under investigation

The fire may have been started by one of the 25 electric cars on board, according to the shipping company Shoei Kisen Kaisha. The company told Dutch public broadcaster NOS “There is a good chance that the fire started with electric cars”, but added: "We are not entirely sure of the cause; we are waiting for the investigation.”

The Coastguard spokesperson told CNN that the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Crew members evacuated from the burning ship

The ship – which sails under the flag of Panama – was on its way from Bremerhaven in Germany to Port Said in Egypt, when the coastguard received a report from the ship signalling a fire on board around midnight local time on Wednesday.

The crew tried to extinguish the fire themselves but were unsuccessful, according to the coastguard. As the fire continued to spread, several crew members jumped overboard3.

Rescue boats and helicopters were used to get all 23 crew members off the ship, but one of them died and several got injured, the coastguard said. It was not clear how the crew member died.

“The people had to get off,” skipper Willard Molenaar from the Ameland rescue ship told NOS. "One after another they jumped and we fished them out of the water.”

The injured sailors, mainly from India, were taken to the nearby coastal village of Lauwersoog and Groningen airport in Eelde and were taken care of by paramedics.

“They all suffered from breathing problems, but none are in serious danger,” a safety official of the Drenthe region told AFP. “The sailors were also treated for burns and broken bones,” she added.

The fire still burning, a threat to nearby natural sites

The ship with the cars is around 30 meters high, according to Molenaar. “They were really in need and that’s why they had to jump. You don’t just do that,” he added.

The ship is currently close to Ameland, one in an archipelago of ecologically sensitive islands situated in the Waddensee area just north of the Dutch mainland. The Wadden Sea is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is considered one of the most important regions for migratory birds in the world.

“The fire could still burn for days,” a coastguard official who spoke on condition of anonymity told AFP. “The ship is being cooled to keep it stable,” said the official. "Only the side of the ship is being sprayed, not the deck.”

“The ship is still on fire. The recovery vessel Hunter has an emergency connection to the ship and is holding the ship in a controlled position. Multiple parties are working on an action plan to limit the damage as much as possible,” the coastguard said in a post on Twitter.

Rijkswaterstaat, the government agency tasked with overseeing public works and water management, said Wednesday evening the situation was “stable”, but added: "Towing or rescue of the vessel can only take place once the fire is out.”

Impact on Electric Vehicles

The cause of the recent blaze on the Fremantle Highway, a Panama-flagged vessel, continues to remain unknown. The Dutch Coast Guard, which received an initial cargo list suggesting the presence of just 25 electric vehicles (EVs) on board, has denied confirming that the fire broke out in the section where electric cars were stored. Despite the uncertainty surrounding the fire's origin, the number of EVs on board has raised concerns, given the unique challenges of dealing with lithium-ion battery fires.

Lithium-Ion Battery Fires: A Prolonged Battle

Whether the EVs played a role in triggering the blaze or not, the total count of electric vehicles on the ship is crucial, considering the potential duration of the firefighting efforts. Lithium-ion battery fires pose distinct challenges, burning at higher temperatures and lasting longer than conventional gasoline fires. Moreover, they can be stubborn to extinguish, with instances of reigniting even after appearing to be under control for hours or even days.

Onboard Cargo: The Extent of EVs

The Fremantle Highway carries a substantial load of 3,783 vehicles in total, including 498 electric cars, according to the charterer Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd. The fire situation was stable as of Friday, necessitating a cautious approach to firefighting due to concerns about compromising the ship's stability by adding excessive water.

BMW AG and Mercedes-Benz Group AG Cars on Board

Among the vehicles on the ill-fated ship, several hundred BMW AG cars and approximately 300 vehicles from Mercedes-Benz Group AG are reported to be on board, as confirmed by representatives of the respective companies. The ship was en route to Port Said, Egypt, after a recent stop at the German port of Bremerhaven, as per ship-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg.

Destination and Ownership: Shoei Kisen Kaisha Ltd.

The vessel is owned by Shoei Kisen Kaisha Ltd., a Japanese company, which has stated that the final destination for the carrier was Singapore. Notably, this same company had previously owned the Ever Given, the massive container ship that made headlines when it got stuck in the Suez Canal in March 2021.

CarBike360 Says:

As the investigation into the cause of the blaze on the Fremantle Highway unfolds, the presence of electric vehicles onboard has drawn attention to the potential challenges in extinguishing lithium-ion battery fires. With the situation still evolving, authorities and the maritime industry remain vigilant in their efforts to contain the fire and assess the impact on the cargo, including the contingent of electric cars.