Netherlands says cargo ship fire appears to be out

The Netherlands Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management on Tuesday said the fire on board the Freemantle Highway cargo ship appeared to no longer be burning. 

Salvagers say the freighter's hull, which caught alight almost a week ago, appears to be intact below water.

What we now know about the ship

"There are no visible signs any longer that the fire is still burning," the spokeswoman said, adding it was too early to sound the all-clear. There are still concerns that it might break up and pollute a nearby archipelago of ecologically sensitive islands in the Wadden Sea.

The Panama-registered Fremantle Highway carried 3,783 new vehicles, including 498 electric cars, from the German port of Bremerhaven to Singapore. 

The vessel was towed 16 kilometers (10 miles) north of the islands of Schiermonnikoog and Ameland to keep it away from busy shipping lanes. Firefighters had decided not to douse the freighter with flames with water for fear of making it unstable.

The Fremantle Highway will now be towed to a port to be unloaded and have its hazardous contents removed before being broken up. However, no port has yet been identified where that will take place.

"The recovery companies are working on a plan of action for towing the freighter to its final location and salvaging it," the ministry said.

It's thought that the decision on a location partly depends on the condition of the vessel. The options are thought to be Eemshaven, a Dutch port on the German border, and the German port of Wilhelmshaven.

rc/lo (dpa, AP)