Dutch firefighters are facing a formidable challenge in extinguishing the fire that broke out on a cargo ship carrying 3,000 vehicles. Even after 16 hours of efforts, the blaze continues to rage,

leaving authorities uncertain about when it will be fully under control. According to the Dutch coast guard, it might take hours, days, or even weeks to ensure the fire is completely out.

At present, the situation is too hazardous for firefighters to board the ship, as any attempts to flood it with water might destabilize the vessel and lead to potential capsizing. The cargo ship in distress, named Fremantle Highway, was en route from Germany to Egypt and was approximately 30 kilometers off the coast of the Wadden Sea island of Ameland when the distress call came in around midnight.

Despite the crew's efforts to tackle the fire, the flames spread rapidly, prompting the intervention of specialized firefighters from Rotterdam. However, by the time they arrived, the situation had become too perilous. Of the 23 crew members on board, seven had to jump into the sea and were later rescued by nearby ships, while the remaining crew members were airlifted to safety.

Authorities are now focused on preventing the ship from sinking, and a tugboat from the Wadden Island water taxi service, Rederij Noordgat, successfully tethered the Fremantle Highway to prevent it from drifting into busy shipping lanes. Additional boats are on standby to assist in pulling the vessel to safety.

The coastguard has issued an appeal to small plane owners to refrain from approaching the distressed cargo ship, as their presence could impede the ongoing rescue operation.

As investigations continue, three potential scenarios have been considered regarding the fire's outcome: the ship might sink, it could be towed to shore, or it might be allowed to burn out entirely. The exact cause of the fire remains unknown, but speculation points to a potential ignition in one of the electric cars on board. The ship's Japanese owners, Shoei Kisen Kaisha, consider this a likely cause, according to reports. Photo by Alf van Beem, Wikimedia commons.