Amsterdam residents warned as bulker blazes
Smoke from the fire has spread across parts of the Dutch capital, with some residents advised to close windows
The fire on board the supramax began on May 15 and is ongoing, the Dutch fire brigade said in its latest update
A FIRE on board a bulk carrier in Amsterdam continues to blaze, with residents in some areas told to keep their doors and windows closed, as smoke from the airborne toxic event drifts over the city.
The Marshall Islands-flagged, 2011-built, 58,096 dwt Trade (IMO: 9425942) arrived at the Amsterdam Scrap Terminal from Le Havre, France, on May 9, carrying a cargo of scrap metal.
Zo zien de bluswerkzaamheden eruithttps://t.co/C4DJAN1SGU pic.twitter.com/cOrdfXYBhN
— AT5 (@AT5) May 15, 2025
Video credit: AT5
The Dutch Brandweer (fire brigade) said it first received reports of a fire in cargo hold four of the vessel at 1702 hrs on May 15.
But by 0600 hrs on Friday May 16, the blaze had spread to cargo hold three and was still alight.
The fire brigade’s original plan was to empty the cargo holds and extinguish the burning metal on shore. This plan was put into action for hold four, but the heat generated from the fire weakened the hatches of hold three and forced it closed.
The Brandweer said a new plan is being worked on, but anticipated that work to put the fire out could last a long time.
Smoke from the fire has drifted over different areas of Amsterdam, prompting authorities to issue warnings to residents to close doors and windows, while soot deposits have been found in areas covered by the smoke.
The vessel’s operator, Diligent Holdings, said an investigation into the cause of the fire was underway. All crew are safe, the operator said.
