• Vessel was en route from Germany to Egypt
• 25 electric vehicles onboard

A blaze on Japan’s Shoei Kisen car carrier in the North Sea off the Netherlands has claimed the life of one seafarer.

A crew of 23 have now been evacuated from the 6,210-ceu Fremantle Highway (built 2013) after attempts to extinguish the fire failed.

The vessel was around 27 km north of the island of Ameland when the crew were evacuated.

It has now been towed out of the main shipping lanes.

The Fremantle Highway is listed as owned by Japan’s Shoei Kisen and operated by K Line.

It is registered in Panama and entered with the Japan P&I Club.

A statement provided to Lloyd’s List from the vessel’s owner, Japan’s Shoei Kisen Kaisha, confirms that fire broke out aboard the vessel at around 2145hrs UTC.

“The crew immediately carried out emergency firefighting via onboard fire suppression systems, but the situation could not be brought under control. In consultation with, and with thanks to, the Netherlands Coastguard, the crew were evacuated from the scene with the assistance of the Netherlands Coastguard and the Royal Netherlands Sea Rescue Institution,” according to the owners statement.

“We can sadly confirm that a crew member passed away following the evacuation. We are working to provide all necessary support to the next of kin during this difficult period.

“The relevant authorities have been notified and we are working closely with emergency responders on salvage and firefighting operations.

“Our priorities are to ensure the continuing safety of the crew, protect the marine environment and to ensure the safety of the vessel.”

According to reports, the vessel was carrying 25 electric cars among the 3,000 vehicles on board the ship.

The cars had been loaded at Bremen, Germany, and were destined for Port Said in Egypt.

Agencies