Leading safety maritime training provider Stream Marine Training has called for an urgent need for updated fire safety training following the death of a seafarer in the Fremantle Highway blaze.

The cargo ship, carrying nearly 3,000 vehicles, had been burning for nearly a week following the blaze, before it was towed to a temporary position off the Dutch coastline. Although the cause of the fire is still unknown, it is believed it could have been started from one of the electric vehicles the ship was carrying.

The 199-metre Panama-registered Fremantle Highway was en route from Germany to Egypt when it caught fire last week, and the blaze tragically resulted in the death of one crew member, with several others left with injuries.

Stream Marine Training, part of the Stream Marine Group, runs several safety training courses on battery and fuel cells and construction and battery fire, and it has been a leading industry voice on the dangers of battery fires and the threat they pose to both the safety of vessels and crew.

Tony in’t Hout, Director at Stream Marine Training, said: “The number of fires caused by electric transportation is growing rapidly, and this is an industry challenge that Stream Marine takes very seriously and believes is a growing risk to the industry.

“To hear a seafarer sadly lost his life in the devastating Fremantle Highway fire is extremely sad and our thoughts are with their family, friends and crewmates at this time. While it is important to note that the cause of the fire is still unknown, it is widely believed that an electric vehicle could be the cause.

“Fires caused by batteries requires different firefighting action than a normal fire. The current STCW training only covers traditional fires, so as a matter of urgency this needs to be looked at.

“A review of the STCW training is due to be carried out in 2025 but we would urge the IMO to carry this out as soon as possible. One death Is one too many and we cannot afford to wait for something catastrophic to happen before we take action.”