Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

20 Indian crew members rescued from burning ship off Dutch coast return home

One crew member was tragically killed in the incident, and the sailor's mortal remains are currently being repatriated, Indian authorities said

20 Indian crew members rescued from burning ship off Dutch coast return home

A group of 20 injured Indian crew members successfully returned to India after being rescued from a significant fire outbreak on a cargo vessel transporting approximately 3,800 cars off the coast of the Netherlands.

One crew member was tragically killed in the incident, and the sailor’s mortal remains are currently being repatriated, Indian authorities said.


The fire erupted on July 25 aboard the Panama-registered vessel Fremantle Highway, which was en route from Germany to Egypt.

In response, several crew members were compelled to leap into the water for their safety. The ship's entire crew consisted of Indian nationals.

The incident resulted in the death of one crew member and injuries to 20 others.

"20 Indian crew rescued from ship Fremantle Highway have safely returned to India over the past week. Thank Dutch authorities for their support & assistance as well as our sailors for their fortitude & courage through this difficult time," the Indian Embassy in the Hague said on Twitter.

"Mortal remains of one crew member who unfortunately passed away are being repatriated," it said.

The disabled vessel has been successfully towed into a port located in the northeastern region of the Netherlands.

While addressing the situation, the Dutch coast guard emphasised that the exact cause of the fire that occurred on the 11-deck ship remains unknown.

Authorities have taken a cautious approach and refrained from engaging in any speculative discussions regarding the incident.

But an audio recording emerged of one rescue worker suggesting it had started in the battery of an electric vehicle and "it appears an electric vehicle exploded too", BBC said.

Of the 3,783 cars on board the ship, 498 were electric vehicles. The fire started on an upper deck and salvage experts said that while four of the ship's decks were relatively undamaged in the hull, the eighth deck had partly collapsed because of the intensity of the fire.

The 21 crew members on board the ship had attempted to put out the fire themselves, but the blaze spread too fast.

Specialised firefighters were brought in from Rotterdam but the situation had already become too dangerous by the time they arrived.

(PTI)

More For You

UN: Australia broke treaty by
detaining asylum seekers on Nauru

Under its immigration policies, those attempting to reach Australia by boat have been sent to detention centres – including Nauru – for offshore processing since 2013

UN: Australia broke treaty by detaining asylum seekers on Nauru

A UN committee found that Australia violated a human rights treaty by detaining a group of asylum seekers, including minors, on the remote Pacific island of Nauru even after they were granted refugee status, it said in a statement last Thursday (9).

Under Australia’s tough immigration policies, those attempting to reach the country by boat have been sent to detention centres – including on the South Pacific island nation of Nauru – for so-called “offshore processing” since 2013. Such facilities have previously drawn scrutiny from rights groups.

Keep ReadingShow less
Bonds with UK strengthen as Indian speaker highlights democracy

Om Birla (third from right), Sir Lindsay Hoyle (fourth from right); and Vikram Doraiswami (third from left) in London last Wednesday (8)

Bonds with UK strengthen as Indian speaker highlights democracy

THERE is a strong belief in India’s democratic values and growth story in the UK, the speaker of the Lok Sabha, the lower house of Indian parliament, said in London during a visit last week.

Addressing a community gathering at the High Commission of India in London last Wednesday (8) evening, Om Birla shared insights from his dialogues with his UK counterpart – Commons speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle and other members of parliament.

Keep ReadingShow less
israel-gaza-getty

People check the rubble of buildings hit in Israeli strikes the previous night in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip, on January 16. (Photo: Getty Images)

Israel strikes Gaza after ceasefire deal, accuses Hamas of backtracking

ISRAEL launched fresh airstrikes on Gaza hours after a ceasefire and hostage release deal with Hamas was announced, accusing the group of reneging on parts of the agreement.

The Israeli government has delayed a cabinet vote on the deal until Hamas confirms full acceptance.

Keep ReadingShow less
SpaDeX -ISRO

SpaDeX satellites holding position at 15m. (Photo: ISRO)

India creates history, becoming fourth nation to achieve space docking

INDIA achieved a significant milestone in its space exploration efforts on Thursday, becoming the fourth nation in the world to successfully carry out a space docking mission.

The Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) was conducted by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) at 9 am IST (0330 GMT), involving two satellites, Target and Chaser, which docked and undocked in orbit after complex manoeuvres.

Keep ReadingShow less
saif-ali-khan-getty

Khan, known for his roles in over 70 films and television series, lives in Bandra, a western suburb of Mumbai. (Photo: Getty Images)

Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan out of danger after getting stabbed

BOLLYWOOD actor Saif Ali Khan is out of danger after sustaining stab injuries during a scuffle with an intruder at his home in Mumbai, police confirmed on Thursday.

Khan, 54, is undergoing surgery following the incident, which occurred early in the morning.

Keep ReadingShow less