Ship Carrying 3,000 Cars Burns For Over 24 Hours In The Middle Of Pacific Ocean
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Fires involving EVs on ships are hard to extinguish due to extreme heat and the risk of reignition, often causing blazes to persist for days despite suppression efforts
A significant maritime incident occurred approximately 300 miles off the coast of Alaska when a cargo ship Morning Midas, transporting 3,000 vehicles, caught fire. Among these vehicles were around 800 electric cars equipped with highly flammable lithium-ion batteries. The intensity of the fire made it too dangerous to control, leading the U.S. Coast Guard to allow the ship to burn for more than 24 hours.
The fire ignited unexpectedly on a vessel travelling from China to Mexico, prompting the crew to abandon ship. The emergency signal was sent just 15 minutes after smoke was first seen on Tuesday afternoon. With no means to combat the fire, all 22 crew members evacuated to lifeboats as the fire intensified. Fortunately, a nearby commercial ship rescued them.
The Coast Guard explained that overheating lithium-ion batteries can explode and release toxic gases, making any firefighting efforts extremely hazardous for both the crew and rescuers. As a result, the burning ship was monitored from a safe distance while awaiting the fire to subside.
Watch The Video Here
Video from the U.S. Coast Guard shows the massive cargo ship that caught fire 300 miles from the Alaskan coast earlier this week.Read more: https://t.co/66J2Wda0Bw pic.twitter.com/RXqepAKgDL — FOX Weather (@foxweather) June 6, 2025
According to Reuters, smoke was first observed emanating from a deck loaded with electric vehicles (EVs). The specific brands of the vehicles on board remain unknown. Fires involving EVs on ships are particularly difficult to put out due to the intense heat they produce and the risk of reignition, which can last for days. The Coast Guard reported that both aircrew and a cutter ship have been dispatched to help manage the situation, with three vessels already present at the scene.
Zodiac Maritime, the London-based company that owns the ship, stated that no firefighting vessels were nearby, and a specialised rescue team is expected to arrive at the spot. US agencies are set to investigate the incident. The Morning Midas had departed Yantai, China, on May 26 and was scheduled to arrive at the port of Lazaro Cardenas in Mexico on June 15, passing through major electric vehicle export hubs like Shanghai and Nansha.
According to the International Energy Agency, over 60 percent of EVs sold in Mexico in 2023-24 were imported from China.
According to the Reuters report, in 2022, a vessel transporting 4,000 luxury cars, including Porsches and Bentleys, sank near the Portuguese Azores archipelago nearly two weeks after a fire broke out. Fires on ships, especially container ships, car carriers, and roll-on/roll-off vessels, are a major concern for insurers.
Incidents of this nature across all types of vessels reached their highest level in a decade in 2024, as reported by Allianz Commercial. Allianz highlighted in its 2025 safety and shipping review report that the risk remains substantial due to the large size of these ships and the complex challenges involved in firefighting and salvage operations.
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