Burning Car Carrier Sinks in Pacific With Hundreds of Electric and Hybrid Vehicles Aboard
Pollution and debris from the doomed Morning Midas are a concern.
A ship carrying hundreds of electric and hybrid vehicles has sunk in the waters off Alaska’s Aleutian island chain three weeks after it caught fire.
Zodiac Maritime, the company that managed the ship, announced Tuesday that the Morning Midas went down in international waters in the North Pacific.
The company blamed the sinking on damage caused by the fire, compounded by heavy weather and subsequent water ingress. It said the ship went down in waters approximately 3 miles deep and 360 nautical miles from land.
The Morning Midas was transporting 3,000 vehicles to Lázaro Cárdenas, Mexico, from China when the fire started on June 3.
The fire started on a deck carrying approximately 800 EVs and hybrids. Lithium batteries, which are used in EVs, are blamed for a growing number of fires, but it was not known if a battery was to blame for the fire on the Morning Midas.
The crew tried to put out the flames using the ship’s onboard fire suppression system but was unsuccessful. The crew of 22 used a lifeboat to flee the burning ship and was picked up by a nearby merchant vessel. No injuries were reported.
It took nearly a week for the first salvage tug to reach the ship, which was still burning when it arrived. Salvage workers were unable to board the ship for an inspection due to the dangerous conditions.
The United States Coast Guard says the ship also had 350 metric tons of gas fuel and 1,530 metric tons of low sulfur fuel aboard. Two salvage tugs containing pollution control equipment remain on site to monitor for signs of pollution or debris. A specialized pollution response vessel is headed to the location as an added precaution.
“All operations continue to prioritize the safety of personnel and the protection of the marine environment,” Zodiac Maritime says in an emailed statement.
The ship was built in 2006 and is approximately 600 feet long. It sailed under a Liberian flag.
The company says it continues to work with the salvage company and the Coast Guard. “We extend our sincere thanks for their professionalism, swift response, and continued collaboration,” Zodiac Maritime says.
