Indian crewman dead, 20 others hurt as ship catches fire off Dutch coast

London, July 27 (IANS) An Indian crewman was killed and at least 20 others injured when a fire broke out onboard a cargo ship carrying nearly 3,000 vehicles, off the Dutch coast.

Several crew members jumped off to save themselves from the fire that erupted on Tuesday night on the 199-metre Panama-registered Fremantle Highway as it was en route from Germany to Egypt.

The Indian Embassy in the Netherlands said it was in touch with the victim's family and making efforts for his repatriation.

"We are deeply saddened by the incident involving Ship ‘Fremantle Highway’ in North Sea, resulting in the death of an Indian seafarer & injuries to the crew. Embassy of India is in touch with family of the deceased & is assisting in repatriation of the mortal remains," the Embassy tweeted on Wednesday.

"Embassy is also in touch with the remaining 20 injured crew members, who are safe and receiving medical attention. All possible assistance is being extended in coordination with the Dutch authorities and the shipping company."

According to the Guardian, the ship’s owner said an electric car in the cargo was suspected as a possible cause for the blaze in the area, which has been declared a Unesco world heritage site and has a rich diversity of more than 10,000 aquatic and terrestrial species.

After the fire, rescue ships sprung into action and sprayed water on to the burning vessel to cool it down.

In addition, a salvage vessel was hooked on to stop the ship from drifting.

A helicopter airlifted the remaining people from the 23-strong crew off the burning ship.

The injured crew were being treated for breathing problems, burns, and broken bones, the Guardian said quoting local Dutch authorities.

“The ship is still on fire. The recovery vessel Hunter has an emergency connection to the ship and is holding the ship in a controlled position. Multiple parties are working on an action plan to limit the damage as much as possible,” the Coast Guard said in a post on Twitter.