FREMANTLE HIGHWAY

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Entrepreneurs backfired again

After a previous lawsuit, BMW was again vindicated this week by a judge in The Hague. Their cars must be transferred to BMW so the company can have them scrapped and prevent them from ever being sold again. Two Dutch entrepreneurs, Sam Peinemann, owner of the forklift company Peinemann Mobilift Group, and Eric Bakker, of car dealer 3B Exclusief, had bought €5 million worth of brand-new BMWs carried aboard the ship, which had been stored on a section of the ship where there had been no fire or water damage.. But the car manufacturer obtained a court order ordering the destruction of the vehicles. BMW argued that the toxic gases on board posed a risk of damage to the electronics and that these unsafe vehicles should be destroyed. However, Peinemann says he will appeal, a process that could take a year. Bakker respond that the vehicles are "in top condition" and have passed all strict inspections.

Fate of 260 BMW from the cargo of the Fremantle Highway to be decided soon

Within a few days, it will become clear whether two Rotterdam buyers will be allowed to sell 260 brand-new BMWs or whether the vehicles must be destroyed. They were stored in the hold of the 'Fremantle Highway', when a fire broke out on board on July 25, 2023, approximately 27 kilometers off the coast of Ameland. while the ship was en route from Bremerhaven to Singapore with nearly 4,000 new cars, but ultimately had to be towed to Eemshaven. The entrepreneurs bought the seemingly flawless BMWs in Eemshaven for over five million euros. They intended to resell them. According to them, the BMWs are in excellent condition, but the German car manufacturer itself claims the cars were damaged in the fire. BMW seized the vehicles and, in legal proceedings, demanded that all 260 be destroyed. BMW is against the sale, partly because cars intended for the Asian market are not allowed to be sold in Europe. Furthermore, BMW can no longer guarantee the safety of the cars, the car manufacturer's lawyer argued in February 2024. BMW's position is that the cars have been damaged by the heat and soot, and by the ship itself, that the quality has deteriorated, and that any future claims will cause BMW problems. The judge will rule on the case no later than the first week of August. All 260 hybrid cars are still parked in an industrial estate in Moerdijk. If the judge in the main proceedings does decide that the cars must be destroyed, Bakker and his colleague buyer will face enormous expenses. Not only the demolition is expensive- The storage also costs money, and while the cars are getting older every day, their value decreases.

Report: Firefighting and rescue operation of the Fremantle Highway was difficult due to poor communication

The firefighting and rescue operation of the burning 'Fremantle Highway' was difficult due to poor communication between the various emergency services and slow decision-making. This was concluded by the Dutch Safety Board (OVV). The fragmentation of the various services was 'at the expense of the speed of action. The fire on the ship carrying electric cars, among other things, broke out late in the evening of 25 July 2023, 27 kilometres off the coast of Ameland. The Coast Guard started fighting the fire, but did not know that the fire was spreading and the people on board were in danger. It was only when the special helicopters reached the ship after two and a half hours that it became clear that almost the entire ship was on fire and a rescue operation was necessary. The fire caused a lot of smoke and seven crew members saw no other way out than to jump from a great height from the ship. They were seriously injured and one of them did not survive the jump. 16 people were taken off the ship by helicopter. They had all inhaled heavy smoke. When the victims were taken to Groningen Airport Eelde, the emergency services there were not prepared for their arrival, which caused delays in transport to hospitals. The OVV stated that 'emergency aid in the North Sea must be put in order as soon as possible'. Communication between the Coastguard and the partners on land in particular must be improved. 'The Safety Board has regularly pointed out in recent years that the Coastguard Centre is insufficiently capable of taking control when it has to collaborate with other parties. 'It does not help that several ministries share the administrative responsibility for the Coastguard.'