Strong winds prevent Dutch maritime services from moving burning ship

Amsterdam, Jul. 30, (dpa/GNA) – Dutch emergency services on Saturday had planned to tow a burning, heavily loaded car freighter to a safe mooring away from the northern Netherlands coastline but postponed the manoevre at the last minute due to weather conditions.

The Fremantle Highway had initially been due to reach the island of Schiermonnikoog on Sunday, a spokesman for the water authority in The Hague confirmed.

But the manoeuvre is considered risky as the vessel with about 3,800 cars on board was still burning and the wind direction and heavy smoke from the burning vessel made the manoeuvre impossible, the water authority in The Hague said late Saturday.

There are concerns that it could break up or capsize en route to its interim mooring. This poses a risk of an environmental catastrophe. The bird areas in the Wadden Sea, for example, are at risk, as are the beaches and dunes of the islands.

The risks for the relocation are too great at the moment, the authority said, noting that the wind would drive clouds of smoke directly over the tug, endangering the crew’s health and safety.

The operation may have to be postponed for several days until the wind shifts, it said. “Until then, the vessel will remain in its current position.” The condition of the ship is constantly monitored by specialists, according to the authority.

Experts had earlier prepared the vessel for towing and said precautions were being taken against any spillage of pollutants.

“We are keeping ourselves informed and holding our breath,” the mayor of Schiermonnikoog, Ineke van Gent, tweeted as concern grew that the operation could endanger the island.

The transport was to be accompanied by tugboats and a ship that specializes in clearing oil at sea.

Authorities had originally said the ship was stable and that no adverse consequences were expected for the islands and the Wadden Sea nature reserve on the other side of them. The freighter was to be repositioned 16 kilometres north of Schiermonnikoog until a harbour is found.

The Panama-flagged ship was originally heading from Bremerhaven in Germany to Singapore when it caught fire in the early hours of Wednesday off the neighbouring island of Ameland. One person died during the evacuation of the crew.

Experts speculated that the fire started from the battery of one of the electric cars on the freighter, but this has not been confirmed.

GNA