An independent Dutch safety watchdog, the Dutch Safety Board (DSB), issued a scathing report on Thursday, May 29, 2025, stating that protocols for responding to emergencies on busy North Sea shipping routes off the Dutch coast must be urgently improved. The report was a critical investigation into the deadly blaze that occurred on the Fremantle Highway cargo ship in July 2023, reports AP News.
Critical Warning
The Dutch Safety Board has issued a critical warning in its report concerning the emergency services’ response to a fierce fire that erupted on the night of July 25, 2023, aboard the Fremantle Highway freighter. This vessel was transporting nearly 3,000 automobiles, including almost 500 electric vehicles, from Germany to Singapore.
During the incident, one of the 23 people onboard was tragically killed, and six others sustained injuries after jumping overboard to escape thick smoke billowing from the ship’s cargo hold. This occurred approximately 27 kilometers (17 miles) north of the Dutch island of Ameland. The remaining 16 individuals were rescued by helicopters.
The report by the Dutch Safety Board concluded that during the rescue mission, “the focus for too long was on firefighting instead of saving the crew.” It strongly recommended that the emergency assistance system be “put in order as soon as possible” to ensure preparedness for future maritime incidents. The report called for “various improvements… both at the Coastguard and at the relevant safety regions” in its recommendations to the government.
It’s important to note that the Dutch report did not investigate or comment on the cause of the fire. The investigation into the cause was being conducted by maritime authorities in Panama, as the ship was flying under a Panamanian flag.
The fire on the freighter burned uncontrollably for a week, with the stricken vessel floating near busy shipping lanes and the shallow Wadden Sea, a UNESCO World Heritage-listed habitat for migratory birds. The ship was eventually towed to a port in the northern Netherlands for salvage operations.
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Source: AP News
