A fire broke out on the car carrier “Thames Highway” shortly after the vessel left Emden. The fire was subsequently contained.
The “Thames Highway” was travelling from Emden to Grimsby in the UK when the fire broke out on board. The 149 m long vessel (built in 2005, capacity 1,600 CEU) was carrying around 1,300 vehicles, including approximately 480 electric cars. The ship sails under the flag of the Bahamas and is operated by the Bremen-based shipping company K Line European Sea Highway Services (KESS).
According to Germany’s Central Command for Maritime Emergencies (CCME), 18 crew members and a pilot were on board at the time of the incident. There were no injuries and no release of pollutants. Immediately after the fire was detected, the crew established a so-called “sealed state”, meaning that the affected area inside the vessel was sealed airtight. This measure prevented the fire from spreading further.
Four ships and over 60 emergency crews involved
The Central Command for Maritime Emergencies took charge of the operation at around midnight and sent a six-man team from the Cuxhaven fire department to the ship by helicopter. The fire departments from Emden and Wilhelmshaven also took part in the operation. The sea rescuers were on site with the rescue cruiser “Hamburg” and provided medical assistance.
According to the Central Command for Maritime Emergencies, other helicopters, emergency services and ships were also alerted. These included the emergency tug “Nordic”, the federal waterways and shipping administration’s buoy tender “Norden” and the federal multi-purpose vessel “Mellum”. The emergency tug “Multraship Protector” of the Dutch Coast Guard was also on standby at the German-Dutch border to assist with the operation. A total of 63 emergency personnel, four ships and two helicopters were involved.
