One dead following car carrier ship fire in North Sea

One person has been reported dead after a car carrier owned by Shoei Kisen caught fire in the North Sea, 27km off the coast of the Netherlands.

The Freemantle Highway ship is currently still ablaze after the crew of 23, who have now been evacuated, could not extinguish the fire.

Reports say that the vessel was transporting 2857 vehicles from Bremen, Germany to Port Said, Egypt. Approximately 25 electric vehicles were on board, which may be a possible cause of the fire.

EVs have been associated with car carrier fires in the past, a case in point being the Felicity Ace which burst into flames in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and sunk early last year. However, it isn’t known if the fire was caused by an electric car.

Reports suggest that the Freemantle Highway was also loaded with used vehicles before it set sail, another possible cause of the fire.

As it stands, there is a risk of the vessel sinking if the fire continues to spread. It may also be written off if it makes it back to port via a tow.