A foreign-flagged cargo ship suffered an onboard fire in the Wadden Sea shortly after departing the Port of Emden in Germany on Monday, January 26.
The Bahamas-registered pure car and truck carrier (PCTC) Thames Highway had just cleared the harbour at Emden and was en route to Grimsby in the UK when a blaze ignited in her engine room on Monday evening (local time).
The crew then brought the ship to a nearby anchorage and sealed off the engine room to prevent the fire from spreading to the other compartments.
Firefighters from Cuxhaven, Emden and Wilhelmshaven were brought to the PCTC via two helicopters to assist the crew in extinguishing the blaze. Four vessels also arrived in the area to render assistance.
German officials said the fire was extinguished by 11:15 on Tuesday, January 27. However, the incident resulted in damage that rendered the ship unable to move under her own power.
A tug operated by Netherlands-based Wagenborg Towage arrived in the area later in the day on Tuesday to tow the stricken PCTC back to Emden.
Officials said that no pollution was reported and that the ship's 18-strong crew and an embarked pilot were unharmed.