Salvage specialists have started towing a burning freighter ship off the coast of the Netherlands to a less dangerous location now. It has been ablaze for several days near the Wadden Sea nature reserve and authorities hope to relocate it to a less sensitive spot. The operation had initially been announced on Saturday but was then delayed because of unfavorable winds and concerns of smoke-related risks for crews on the vessels towing the stricken freighter. The fire had began on Tuesday night on the 199-metre Panama-registered Fremantle Highway, which was en route from Germany to Egypt and was carrying nearly 3,000 vehicles. The ship is slowly being towed to an area some 16 kilometers north of the islands of Ameland, a few dozen kilometers from where it became stricken. That's close to the ecologically sensitive Wadden Sea nature reserve, the largest tidal flats system in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage site. The vessel could cause severe environmental damage were it to sink there. It was anticipated that the tow was likely to take up to 14 hours depending on weather conditions, smoke and the tide. The cause of the fire on board is unclear, though the vessel's owner has said an electric vehicle may have been the source.
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