Back to news
World News | Dutch Safety Board Calls for Urgent Improvements After Deadly North Sea Cargo Ship Blaze
@Source: latestly.com
The Hague, May 22 (AP) Protocols for responding to emergencies on busy North Sea shipping routes off the Dutch coast must be urgently improved, an independent Dutch safety watchdog said Thursday in a report into a deadly blaze on a cargo ship. The warning by the Dutch Safety Board came in its report about emergency services' response to a fierce fire that broke out on the night of July 25, 2023, on the Fremantle Highway freighter that was carrying nearly 3,000 automobiles, including nearly 500 electric vehicles, from Germany to Singapore. Also Read | Operation Sindoor Outreach: 'Will Tackle Terrorism Together As Strong Bilateral Relationship Extends Beyond Trade and Culture', UAE Assures India (See Pics). One of the 23 people on board was killed and six others were injured after jumping overboard to escape smoke churning out of the ship's cargo hold about 27 kilometers (17 miles) north of the Dutch island of Ameland. The remaining 16 people were rescued using helicopters. During the mission by Dutch maritime rescuers, “the focus for too long was on firefighting instead of saving the crew,” the report said. Also Read | Operation Sindoor Outreach: All Party Delegations Brief United Arab Emirates, Japan About Op Sindoor, Pakistan-Backed Terror. It added that poor information sharing between different rescuers and emergency services on land meant authorities were not fully prepared when 16 survivors who also required medical help were flown to shore, causing delays in transferring them to hospitals. “In order to be well prepared for future incidents at sea, the emergency assistance system must be put in order as soon as possible. Various improvements are needed for this, both at the Coastguard and at the relevant safety regions,” the report said in recommendations to the government. The Dutch report did not look into or comment on the cause of the fire. Maritime authorities in Panama were investigating the cause because the ship was flying under a Panamanian flag. The fire burned out of control for a week as the stricken freighter floated near shipping lanes and the shallow Wadden Sea, a UNESCO World Heritage-listed migratory bird habitat. It was eventually towed to a port in the northern Netherlands for salvage. (AP) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Related News
12 Aug, 2025
NYC mom and son, 20, busted while trying . . .
16 Jun, 2025
Team India all-rounder clobbers 122* off . . .
01 Aug, 2025
How to watch WWE SummerSlam 2025: live s . . .
14 May, 2025
Grading how every Big Ten men's basketba . . .
15 Aug, 2025
FC Goa drawn with Ronaldo's Al Nassr in . . .
17 Jun, 2025
First Bank Restates Commitment to OBJ G . . .
16 May, 2025
Ukraine breakthrough depends on meeting . . .
17 Aug, 2025
Tom Brady channels Al Davis before Raide . . .