The big ship is still burning off the coast of the Netherlands.
If the ship sinks, it means an environmental disaster for the sea and biological diversity.
– It is still burning and there is a lot of smoke development, a Coast Guard spokesperson told AP.
The extinguishing work on the large ship that caught fire on Wednesday night off the coast of the Netherlands is in full swing. One person has lost their life and several have been injured in the massive fire, which is suspected to have started in an electric vehicle below deck, the country’s coast guard states in a press release.
The high temperature on board the ship has made extinguishing work difficult to a large extent, but now the strength of the fire is said to have decreased and is no longer as intense.
With the help of a tugboat, the Coast Guard managed to hold the ship in place to prevent it from drifting away.
The ship’s 23 crew members were evacuated on Thursday morning with the help of a rescue helicopter and a boat.
Risk of environmental disaster
The Wadden Sea with its more than 10,000 aquatic and terrestrial species has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. If the ship sinks, it means an environmental disaster for the sea and the rich biological diversity.
– The risk of an environmental disaster is always present. You have to take into account a scenario where the ship capsizes or sinks, says Edwin Granneman to the Dutch radio channel BNO.
The Panama-flagged ship was on its way to Port Said in Egypt from the German Bremerhaven.