A pleasure boat caught fire on the Dordtse Kil waterway on Friday morning, July 10, 2026, forcing its passengers to evacuate onto a nearby vessel, according to a spokesperson for the Zuid-Holland Zuid Safety Region.
The emergency services received the first report of the incident around 10:20 a. m.
after smoke was spotted on board the pleasure craft.
The vessel subsequently lost power and steering, drifting into the middle of the shipping channel.
The occupants successfully transferred to another boat that pulled alongside them.
A passing container ship assisted by making an initial firefighting attempt and securing the drifting boat until emergency responders arrived at the scene.
The Royal Netherlands Sea Rescue Institution (KNRM) subsequently took the disabled vessel in tow toward the shore so that emergency crews could fully extinguish the remaining flames.
Ambulance personnel treated the passengers on shore for smoke inhalation, according to the Safety Region spokesperson, though their current medical conditions remain unconfirmed.
The exact cause and origin point of the fire within the boat are still unknown.
