Crew Member Dies In Car Carrier Fire

A fire broke out on a cargo ship carrying 3,000 cars in the North Sea this week, resulting in the tragic death of one of its crew.

The incident took place just off the coast of the Netherlands on Tuesday night, just a few hours after the vessel had left the port of Bremerhaven heading for Egypt.

The crew initially tried to control the flames aboard the Panama flagged vessel ‘Fremantle Highway’, but quickly found themselves overwhelmed.  The flames blocked the path to the lifeboats, which led to further injuries and seven crew members jumping 30 metres into the sea.

Ship fires have become too commonplace during recent years, which are often caused by dangerous goods products, and the cause of this fire is squarely being blamed on 25 electric cars that were on board.

Lithium batteries are considered dangerous goods, and are a product that has been heavily debated during recent months. More and more electronic products are being powered by these batteries, and while they may be harmless to the consumer, they are prone to explosions and fire when damaged and stored together in larger quantities.

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