When showing up to a major dealership and looking out upon rows and rows of shiny brand new cars ready for sale, it might be easy to take for granted how they got there. While it’s true that many foreign automakers have factories in America and other countries, many of them still have to ship vehicles to countries on other continents. That means putting a bunch of cars on a large boat and sending it across the ocean. Which while generally safe, isn’t without risk.
According to an Automotive News report via Reuters, a cargo ship carrying 2,857 vehicles caught fire off the Dutch coast while on route to Egypt from Germany. Of the 23 crew members on the ship, one died while several others were injured. Some crew members even jumped overboard to escape the fire which reportedly rapidly spread throughout the ship. The remainder of the crew were airlifted off the boat by a rescue helicopter. Approximately 350 of the cars on board are Mercedes-Benz vehicles, but the automaker hasn’t disclosed what models were on board; it’s unclear what other makes and models are onboard.
As far as what caused the blaze, no definitive cause has been given however according to an unnamed coast guard official, it is suspected that an EV battery fire is the culprit as there were 25 EVs on board. It is unclear if any of those EVs are Mercedes-Benz vehicles or are from other automakers. The ship has been towed away from shipping lanes and may eventually sink, taking nearly 3,000 vehicles into the depths with it. The ship, is nearly 10 years old and can carry up to 4,000 vehicles total so this wasn’t simply a factor of overloading.
Salvage experts are currently working out the best course of action for the ship and probably trying to figure out if the remaining vehicles on board can be saved.
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