Burning ro-ro on the move

A burning roll-on, roll-off vessel is being towed away from shipping routes as part of the tricky operation to salvage it, report the authorities and media in the Netherlands.

The car carrier, which was travelling from Germany to Egypt when the blaze broke out, is being towed to a location 16km north of the Dutch islands Ameland and Schiermonnikoog.

The towing operation began on July 30 and it’s unknown when the Fremantle Highway will arrive at its temporary destination. That depends on the weather, how smoke develops on-board, and tides and currents.

The fire on the Panamanian-registered ship resulted in the death of a crew member. Seven of the 21-strong crew who jumped overboard to escape the flames were injured. 

BMW and Mercedes-Benz have cars among the 3,783 vehicles on-board the ship. The overall total includes 498 battery electric vehicles, more than the 25 initially reported. (Photo: Coastguard Netherlands)