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Watch: Abandoned ship with 3,000 cars burns in the Pacific
Fire erupts on a cargo ship carrying 3,000 electric vehicles off Alaska's coast. The US Coast Guard had to let the vessel burn off for more than 24 hours read more
A fire on a cargo ship carrying electric vehicles that contained highly flammable lithium-ion batteries burned off the coast in Alaska on Wednesday night. The fire kept on burning for more than 24 hours after it first broke out, said the US Coast Guard and the ship's manager.
According to The New York Times, the vessel carrying the cars began smoking on Tuesday afternoon when the ship was approximately 1,200 miles from Anchorage. The crew onboard were enable to contain it and sent a distress call 15 minutes after the smoke started emerging. The cargo ship belongs to the London-based shipping company Zodiac Maritime.
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After the authorities reached the site, all 22 members left the 600-foot ship on a lifeboat and were rescued by a nearby commercial vessel, the Coast Guard said in a statement. A spokesperson for the US Coast Guard told local reporters that it was allowing the fire to burn out and was monitoring the ship from a safe distance since the lithium-ion batteries in the cars have a risk of exploding.
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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
Why was the fire not prevented at the start?
Dustin Eno, a spokesman for Zodiac Maritime, said there were no firefighting vessels nearby to help put out the blaze, and that a salvage team was expected to arrive on Monday. Petty Officer First Class Shannon Kearney of the Coast Guard's 17th District in Alaska said that the American agency is planning to investigate the cause of the fire.
It is pertinent to note that Electric vehicles contain lithium-ion batteries that can overheat and cause fires that spread rapidly and produce toxic gases. This is what makes them difficult and dangerous to extinguish. According to the NYT, the vessel named Morning Midas was carrying 3,000 cars, including 800 electric vehicles, and had been expected to arrive at Lázaro Cárdenas in Mexico on June 15.
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The ship left Yantai, China, on May 26, and stopped at Shanghai and Nansha, two major hubs for Chinese electric vehicle exports, before it set off across the Pacific. The trip was not unusual since imports from China dominate the electric vehicle market in Latin America. According to the International Energy Agency, more than 60 per cent of electric vehicles sold in Mexico in 2023 and 2024 were from China.
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First Post
6 hours ago
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Watch: Abandoned ship with 3,000 cars burns in the Pacific
Fire erupts on a cargo ship carrying 3,000 electric vehicles off Alaska's coast. The US Coast Guard had to let the vessel burn off for more than 24 hours read more A fire on a cargo ship carrying electric vehicles that contained highly flammable lithium-ion batteries burned off the coast in Alaska on Wednesday night. The fire kept on burning for more than 24 hours after it first broke out, said the US Coast Guard and the ship's manager. According to The New York Times, the vessel carrying the cars began smoking on Tuesday afternoon when the ship was approximately 1,200 miles from Anchorage. The crew onboard were enable to contain it and sent a distress call 15 minutes after the smoke started emerging. The cargo ship belongs to the London-based shipping company Zodiac Maritime. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD After the authorities reached the site, all 22 members left the 600-foot ship on a lifeboat and were rescued by a nearby commercial vessel, the Coast Guard said in a statement. A spokesperson for the US Coast Guard told local reporters that it was allowing the fire to burn out and was monitoring the ship from a safe distance since the lithium-ion batteries in the cars have a risk of exploding. More from World Pakistan gets law to arrest Baloch citizens for 90 days only on suspicion 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: — FOX Weather (@foxweather) June 6, 2025 Why was the fire not prevented at the start? Dustin Eno, a spokesman for Zodiac Maritime, said there were no firefighting vessels nearby to help put out the blaze, and that a salvage team was expected to arrive on Monday. Petty Officer First Class Shannon Kearney of the Coast Guard's 17th District in Alaska said that the American agency is planning to investigate the cause of the fire. It is pertinent to note that Electric vehicles contain lithium-ion batteries that can overheat and cause fires that spread rapidly and produce toxic gases. This is what makes them difficult and dangerous to extinguish. According to the NYT, the vessel named Morning Midas was carrying 3,000 cars, including 800 electric vehicles, and had been expected to arrive at Lázaro Cárdenas in Mexico on June 15. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The ship left Yantai, China, on May 26, and stopped at Shanghai and Nansha, two major hubs for Chinese electric vehicle exports, before it set off across the Pacific. The trip was not unusual since imports from China dominate the electric vehicle market in Latin America. According to the International Energy Agency, more than 60 per cent of electric vehicles sold in Mexico in 2023 and 2024 were from China.
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