Latest news with #AdakIsland
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Cargo ship full of electric vehicles abandoned in Pacific Ocean after terrifying fire erupts
A salvage team is en route to a cargo ship carrying almost 3,000 vehicles that was abandoned in the Pacific Ocean after a fire broke out earlier this week off Alaska 's Aleutian Islands. The 600-foot Morning Midas remains adrift approximately 300 miles southwest of Adak Island, according to the US Coast Guard, which is continuing to monitor the situation via satellite. Photographs show the vessel still smoking hundreds of miles from the nearest coastline days after the initial distress signal was received. Thick columns of smoke can be seen billowing into the sky. Incredibly, all 22 crew members were safely evacuated onto a lifeboat on Tuesday afternoon and later rescued by a nearby merchant vessel. They remained aboard the rescue ship as of Thursday, the vessel's management company, London-based Zodiac Maritime, said. The fire was first reported around 3:15pm on Tuesday as the ship was transporting an around 70 high-powered fully electric vehicles and about 680 hybrids, in addition to a broader cargo of vehicles bound for a major Pacific port in Mexico. The ship had departed Yantai, China, on May 26. The Coast Guard noted that the vehicle figures remain preliminary as the situation develops. The cause of the fire remains under investigation but lithium-ion batteries, widely used in electric vehicles, are known to present firefighting challenges due to their high combustibility once ignited. Lithium fires burn hot, long, and are notoriously difficult to extinguish. A tugboat carrying salvage specialists and firefighting equipment is expected to reach the Morning Midas early next week, Zodiac Maritime said. A second tug, with enhanced ocean towage capabilities, is also being arranged to assist with the operation. For now, officials are relying on the adrift ship's satellite systems to track its condition remotely. The Morning Midas was built in 2006 and is registered under a Liberian flag. Environmental concerns are being closely monitored. Experts warn that if the fire spreads to fuel tanks or causes structural failure, the vessel could leak toxic chemicals or even sink, creating a long-term environmental hazard. Fires involving electric vehicles can present unique hazards if not contained, raising the risk of structural compromise or hazardous material being released into the ocean. The incident has drawn comparisons to a 2023 fire aboard another car carrier, which was transporting around 3,000 vehicles, including nearly 500 electric cars, from Germany to Singapore. That fire burned for a week, resulting in one death and multiple injuries, before the ship was eventually towed to port in the Netherlands. Following that incident, Dutch safety authorities called for improvements in emergency response protocols for ships carrying electric vehicles.
South China Morning Post
4 days ago
- Automotive
- South China Morning Post
Salvage team bound for burning cargo ship off Alaska carrying Chinese cars
A salvage team was expected to arrive early next week at the scene of a cargo ship that was carrying about 3,000 vehicles to Mexico when it caught fire in waters off Alaska's Aleutian island chain. A tug carrying salvage specialists and special equipment was expected to arrive at the location of the Morning Midas around Monday, the ship's management company, London-based Zodiac Maritime, said Thursday. The crew will assess the ship's condition, and a separate tug with firefighting and ocean towage capabilities was being arranged, the company said in its statement. In the meantime, officials were using the ship's onboard satellite-connected systems to monitor it. The vessel remained afloat as of Thursday, and images gathered by the US Coast Guard showed it was still 'alight with smoke emanating' from it, the statement said. Smoke rises from the Morning Midas. Photo: US Coast Guard via Reuters The Coast Guard has said it received a distress alert around 3.15pm Tuesday about a fire aboard the Morning Midas, which was roughly 490km (300 miles) southwest of Adak Island. The ship was carrying about 70 fully electric and about 680 hybrid vehicles, the Coast Guard said, noting that the information was preliminary. Cars from several Chinese carmakers were on the ship, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
CBC
5 days ago
- Automotive
- CBC
22 crew members rescued from lifeboat in North Pacific after cargo ship carrying 3,000 vehicles catches fire
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 U.S. 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, roughly 490 kilometres southwest of Adak Island. Adak is about 1,930 kilometres 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 U.S. 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-metre 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 ship-tracking 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 per cent of international trade by volume now arrives by sea, and the largest container vessels are longer than three football fields.
CNN
5 days ago
- Automotive
- CNN
22 crew members rescued from lifeboat in North Pacific after ship carrying 3,000 cars catches fire
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, roughly 300 miles (490 kilometers) southwest of Adak Island. Adak is about 1,200 miles (1,930 kilometers) 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 600-foot (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.
The Independent
6 days ago
- Automotive
- The Independent
22 crew members safe after fire aboard cargo ship carrying vehicles off Alaska
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 in waters off Alaska's Aleutian island chain. Smoke was initially seen coming from the deck loaded with electric vehicles Tuesday, according to 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 and were later transferred from lifeboats to a nearby merchant vessel in the North Pacific, roughly 300 miles (490 kilometers) southwest of Adak Island. Adak is about 1,200 miles (1,930 kilometers) west of Anchorage, the state's largest city. The crew initiated emergency firefighting procedures with the ship's onboard fire suppression system but 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 U.S. Coast Guard said it was sending air crews to Adak and a ship to the area. The 600-foot (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.
