Ship With 3,000 Cars Sinks After Pacific Fire

Cargo Ship With 3,000 Cars Sinks in Pacific

A cargo ship carrying nearly 3,000 new cars bound for Mexico sank in the North Pacific Ocean weeks after it caught fire and crews were forced to abandon the vessel. The vessel, Morning Midas, went down on Monday in international waters of Alaska's Aleutian Islands, according to its management company, Zodiac Maritime.

The U.S. Coast Guard received a distress call on June 3 while the vessel was some 300 miles southwest of Adak Island. All 22 crew members were evacuated safely to a lifeboat and rescued by a passing merchant vessel and no injuries were reported.

Fire, Weather Caused Ship's Loss
The ship, constructed in 2006, was travelling under a Liberian flag and was on its way from Yantai, China, to a Pacific port in Mexico. After the fire, which apparently started near a deck where electric vehicles were located, the vessel was disabled and unmanned. Salvage units reached the carrier days later, but could not save her, and she eventually sank due to a combination of fire damage, rough seas, and water infiltration.

The ship sank in waters some 16,404 feet (5,000 meters) deep, and 415 miles from the nearest land. Among its cargo were approximately 70 electric and 680 hybrid vehicles.

Continued Monitoring of Pollution
The Coast Guard‎ and Zodiac Maritime said there was no evidence of pollution at the site. Two of the salvage tugs on the scene, including pollution response equipment, remain in place, while an additional dedicated response vessel is being sent as a precaution. There were no injuries in the sinking and the fire is still being investigated.

The episode further raises concerns about the safety of shipping electric vehicles over the open sea. A similar fiery 2023 fire on another cargo ship with EVs resulted in fatalities and widespread damage in a case that spurred safety reviews by European maritime authorities.