22 crew members rescued from lifeboat in North Pacific after ship carrying 3,000 cars catches fire
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — The crew of a cargo ship carrying 3,000 vehicles to Mexico, including 800 electric vehicles, abandoned ship after they could not control a fire aboard the vessel in waters off Alaska's Aleutian island chain.
A large plume of smoke was initially seen at the ship's stern coming from the deck loaded with electric vehicles Tuesday, according to US Coast Guard photos and a Wednesday statement from the ship's management company, London-based Zodiac Maritime.
There were no reported injuries among the 22 crew members of the Morning Midas.
Crew members abandoned ship, were evacuated onto a lifeboat and rescued by the crew of a nearby merchant vessel called the Cosco Hellas in the North Pacific, 490 kilometers southwest of Adak Island. Adak is about 1,930 km west of Anchorage, the state's largest city.
The crew initiated emergency firefighting procedures with the ship's onboard fire suppression system. But they were unable bring the flames under control.
'The relevant authorities have been notified, and we are working closely with emergency responders with a tug being deployed to support salvage and firefighting operations,' Zodiac Maritime said in a statement. 'Our priorities are to ensure the continued safety of the crew and protect the marine environment.'
The US Coast Guard said it sent aircrews to Adak and a ship to the area. The status of the fire onboard the ship was unknown as of Wednesday afternoon, but smoke was still emanating from it, according to the Coast Guard.
Rear Admiral Megan Dean, commander of the Coast Guard's Seventeenth District, said in a statement that as the search and rescue part of the response concluded, the Coast Guard was working with Zodiac Maritime to determine how to recover the ship and what will be done with it.
'We are grateful for the selfless actions of the three nearby vessels who assisted in the response and the crew of motor vessel Cosco Hellas, who helped save 22 lives,' Dean said.
The 183-meter Morning Midas, a car and truck carrier, was built in 2006 and sails under a Liberian flag.
The cars left Yantai, China, on May 26, according to the industry site marinetraffic.com . They were being shipped to Lazaro Cardenas, a major Pacific port in Mexico.
Earlier this month, a Dutch safety board called for improving emergency response on North Sea shipping routes after a deadly 2023 fire on a freighter that was carrying 3,000 automobiles, including nearly 500 electric vehicles, from Germany to Singapore.
That fire killed one person, injured others and burned out of control for a week, and the ship was eventually towed to a port in the northern Netherlands for salvage.
The accident increased the focus on safety issues on the open sea and on containers that fall off the massive freighters , which have increased in size dramatically in recent decades. More than 80% of international trade by volume now arrives by sea, and the largest container vessels are longer than three football fields.
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Korea Herald
2 days ago
- Korea Herald
22 crew members rescued from lifeboat in North Pacific after ship carrying 3,000 cars catches fire
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — The crew of a cargo ship carrying 3,000 vehicles to Mexico, including 800 electric vehicles, abandoned ship after they could not control a fire aboard the vessel in waters off Alaska's Aleutian island chain. A large plume of smoke was initially seen at the ship's stern coming from the deck loaded with electric vehicles Tuesday, according to US Coast Guard photos and a Wednesday statement from the ship's management company, London-based Zodiac Maritime. There were no reported injuries among the 22 crew members of the Morning Midas. Crew members abandoned ship, were evacuated onto a lifeboat and rescued by the crew of a nearby merchant vessel called the Cosco Hellas in the North Pacific, 490 kilometers southwest of Adak Island. Adak is about 1,930 km west of Anchorage, the state's largest city. The crew initiated emergency firefighting procedures with the ship's onboard fire suppression system. But they were unable bring the flames under control. 'The relevant authorities have been notified, and we are working closely with emergency responders with a tug being deployed to support salvage and firefighting operations,' Zodiac Maritime said in a statement. 'Our priorities are to ensure the continued safety of the crew and protect the marine environment.' The US Coast Guard said it sent aircrews to Adak and a ship to the area. The status of the fire onboard the ship was unknown as of Wednesday afternoon, but smoke was still emanating from it, according to the Coast Guard. Rear Admiral Megan Dean, commander of the Coast Guard's Seventeenth District, said in a statement that as the search and rescue part of the response concluded, the Coast Guard was working with Zodiac Maritime to determine how to recover the ship and what will be done with it. 'We are grateful for the selfless actions of the three nearby vessels who assisted in the response and the crew of motor vessel Cosco Hellas, who helped save 22 lives,' Dean said. The 183-meter Morning Midas, a car and truck carrier, was built in 2006 and sails under a Liberian flag. The cars left Yantai, China, on May 26, according to the industry site . They were being shipped to Lazaro Cardenas, a major Pacific port in Mexico. Earlier this month, a Dutch safety board called for improving emergency response on North Sea shipping routes after a deadly 2023 fire on a freighter that was carrying 3,000 automobiles, including nearly 500 electric vehicles, from Germany to Singapore. That fire killed one person, injured others and burned out of control for a week, and the ship was eventually towed to a port in the northern Netherlands for salvage. The accident increased the focus on safety issues on the open sea and on containers that fall off the massive freighters , which have increased in size dramatically in recent decades. More than 80% of international trade by volume now arrives by sea, and the largest container vessels are longer than three football fields.
Korea Herald
15-05-2025
- Korea Herald
Japan's 'washi' paper used to mend historical documents at US National Archives, overseas museums
WASHINGTON (Japan News/ANN) — The US National Archives in Washington is making good use of traditional Japanese "washi" paper to repair historical documents. Washi is light, strong, water-resistant and endowed with a beautiful texture. Since washi can last more than 1,000 years if kept correctly, it is highly appreciated among those in charge of preserving international documents. The National Archives, which was established in 1934, houses as many as 13.5 billion pages of documents, including the Declaration of Independence and the original document of the Constitution of the United States. There are records that Japanese paper has been used to protect documents since the early 20th century. In the 1980s, washi was already an indispensable material in the field of preserving and mending documents. The craft of washi is inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list and utilized to repair cultural properties at institutions throughout the world, such as the Louvre Museum and the British Museum. Washi is used to repair ancient documents at the Central State Historical Archives of Ukraine as well. The value of washi is also attracting attention from the viewpoint of art. "Washi excels in durability, which is proven by history on a timescale in millenniums," said New York-based artist Hiroshi Senju. "[Washi] is more than just a culture. It is also recognized for its value as a civilization." Increased value of paper originals The US National Archives in Washington is proceeding with a large-scale project to digitize about 500 million pages of documents and make them public online by 2026. Yet the institution also regards the preservation of the originals as important as well. Japanese washi is highly valued for this purpose. According to the National Archives, documents were not scanned in color in the early days of the digitization project. Therefore, the documents were digitized in black and white, without color information even if some text or seals were in color. There are concerns about the risk of blackouts and damage to digital files as well, so washi seems to give conservators peace of mind because it makes them feel assured that they can go back to paper anytime. Yoonjoo Strumfels, a conservator at the National Archives, said that washi is essential to their preservation work because properly made washi can be used for a long time. Washi is characteristically less prone to degradation than other paper and also relatively resistant to environmental changes. Such traits make washi highly trusted for the conservation of documents. Strumfels repaired a document that George Washington, the first US president, wrote to the Congress by removing a silk cloth adhered for reinforcement and attaching a very thin piece of washi on the damaged area. The washi that was attached did not do any damage to the letters on the document and looked naturally blended to the point it was almost invisible, she said. Of the different types of washi the National Archives utilizes for conservation, washi made from the kozo paper mulberry is the most commonly used because it has long fibers and excels in flexibility and strength. Washi made from the mitsumata shrub in the daphne family is suited to repair delicate items, such as photos, and washi made from the ganpi shrub of the daphne family has a pearly sheen that makes the paper preferred for occasions when the appearance of materials on display takes on importance. Apparently, the glue used at the National Archives to apply washi is made inside the facility using starch powder imported from Japan. "While digitization is proceeding further, the degradation of data storage media and the demise of reproduction equipment are creating the problem that people cannot extract the contents from them," Senju said. "When that happens, people go back to paper because they can read it without any equipment." Senju then stressed the significance of washi as a material that brings human memories to the future. "Since this is the digital age, the multifaceted charm of washi is being rediscovered," he said.
Korea Herald
13-05-2025
- Korea Herald
Pursuing living tradition: Architect Daniel Tandler on reimagining hanok tradition
Korean German architect builds on essence of 'hanok' with modern tools, old hands For Korean German architect Daniel Tandler, understanding the essence of "hanok" is conducive not only to good design, but also to grasping the broader values embedded in Korean life. Over the past decade, Tandler has immersed himself in studying, designing and living with hanok — traditional Korean houses known for their harmony with nature, wooden joinery, "ondol" underfloor heating and open spatial flow. Through his Seoul-based practice, the Urbandetail Architecture co-founder and principal approaches hanok not as a static historical artifact, but as a living form of architecture capable of evolving with time, culture and technological progress. "The hanok may never become fully mainstream again, but it remains an essential part of our architectural culture. We're past worrying about whether the hanok will survive; the question now is where it's headed," he said in an interview with The Korea Herald on April 25 in Seoul. Tandler sees possibilities for many paths forward. These ideas are reflected in his firm's work, which draws on what he sees as the core elements of hanok — "maru" (open wooden floors), "daecheong" (main halls) and courtyards, which were shaped by Korea's climate and way of life. One such example is SeoHeeJae, erected in 2021 and widely considered one of the most faithful reinterpretations of traditional hanok design. The house was honored as the Excellent Hanok of the Year by the Seoul Metropolitan Government. More recently, Jeongdaeunjip — another project by Urbandetail — earned top recognition at the 2023 Korean National Hanok Awards, as well as Excellent Hanok of the Year once again. While these hanok are located in Eunpyeong Hanok Village, a dedicated area for hanok in Seoul, not all hanok are built from the ground up. In many cases, hanok are created through renovation — either by preserving an existing hanok's original form or by transforming another structure into one. Both approaches require careful and often extensive remodeling. Binyeonjae, for instance, is a hybrid residence originally constructed in 2002, blending a reinforced concrete structure on the first floor with a traditional wooden hanok frame on the second. Urbandetail undertook a major renovation and extension of the house. The design was guided by the hanok principle of "chagyeong," or 'borrowed scenery,' with the intent to create a continuous visual and spatial flow between the interior and surrounding nature. 'We planned it so that wherever you are in the house, you feel this seamless connection between inside and out,' Tandler explained. Solsame House is Tandler's personal experiment in blending his favorite hanok concepts into a remodeled home, with elements like an internal courtyard, stone flooring, glass ceilings and layers of "hanji" -- paper made from the mulberry tree -- and lacquer flooring, demonstrating how hanok values can inform modern space-making. 'For Solsame House, I applied many elements of hanok and reinterpreted its spatial logic,' he said. In pursuing this threefold approach to hanok architecture, one area Tandler emphasizes is the value of craftsmanship. Preserving craftsmanship, Tandler said, is vital in Korea, where much of the hanok tradition was lost in the modernization process. In Germany, he noted, traditional architecture evolved naturally into modern forms, with carpenters adapting over time and continuing their craft. But Korea's modernization came abruptly under Japanese colonial rule, following initial resistance. Modern elements were introduced from outside, not as part of an organic cultural evolution. 'The number of skilled artisans is dwindling. Roof tilers are in their 60s and 70s. Some crafts like wallpapering are passed on through mother-daughter teams, but it's fragile,' he said. "I believe that the very existence of traditional craftsmanship itself is a crucial cultural asset. But I sometimes worry that if we keep pushing hanok solely in the direction of development and innovation, we might end up losing that element. That's why, at our firm, when we work on reinterpretations of traditional architecture within a modern context. We try — whenever possible — to collaborate directly with master craftsmen. That's something we value deeply," he added. Raised and educated in Germany, Tandler first encountered hanok during a visit to his aunt's house in Gwangju while studying economics at Yonsei University. 'I remember thinking: Why are these homes disappearing?' That question eventually steered him away from economics and toward architecture. Though he studied economics at the University of Goettingen in central Germany and interned at the Samsung Economic Research Institute, he realized the field did not suit him. Instead, his interest in hanok grew. He read books by master carpenter Shin Young-hoon and took hanok tours during trips to Korea. He later enrolled in architecture at RWTH Aachen University in Germany's far west and trained under architect Cho Jung-goo at guga Urban Architecture. In 2014, he co-founded Urbandetail with architect Choi Ji-hee. Tandler believes the strength of traditional Korean architecture lies in its spatial harmony — its balance between openness and enclosure, between nature and structure. 'I hope more architects explore how to adapt this flexibility meaningfully in modern design,' he said. He also sees promise in the growing interest among younger generations in Korea's traditional culture — including hanok. 'When it comes to our identity, I believe traditional elements play a vital role,' he said. 'By engaging with them, we gain deeper insight into who we are and how we differ from others. That's why it's essential to preserve — and evolve — our traditions.' Renewed interest in hanok, or traditional Korean houses, is palpable today, demonstrated by the growing number of hanok cultural facilities, cafes, accommodations and homes. While some new hanok architecture espouses the traditional form dating from the Joseon era, hanok buildings that have been adapted to contemporary conditions and lifestyles are also gaining ground. In this series, entitled 'Evolving Hanok,' The Korea Herald explores how hanok continue to evolve to stay relevant to current milieus. — Ed. gypark@
