Latest news with #MeganDean
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
An abandoned ship full of EVs is burning in the Pacific
A cargo ship transporting 3,000 cars was abandoned in the middle of the Pacific Ocean on Tuesday after a massive fire broke out. As of Friday, the ship was still burning. The blaze may have been fueled by the vehicles' lithium-ion batteries, which are notoriously difficult to extinguish once ignited. The ship, named Morning Midas, was reportedly carrying 3,000 cars on a journey from Yantai, China to Lázaro Cárdenas, Mexico. Of those vehicles, about 750 were fully electric or partial hybrids, powered at least in part by large lithium‑ion batteries that can short‑circuit and ignite extremely hot fires. Although the exact cause has yet to be determined, the Morning Midas crew reported smoke rising from the deck around midnight on Tuesday. A representative from Zodiac Maritime, a UK-based ship manager overseeing the vessel, told The Register that the 22 sailors on board responded to the fire on Tuesday and attempted to extinguish it using the available onboard fire suppression systems. It wasn't enough. As the blaze grew out of control, the crew reportedly issued a distress call and abandoned the ship in lifeboats. A nearby merchant vessel responded and rescued all 22 sailors, according to a statement released by the U.S. Coast Guard. As for the Morning Midas, it remains afloat and burning in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, approximately 304 miles south of Adak, Alaska. It's unclear what makes or models of cars were aboard—or whether any of them will be recoverable. In a statement sent to Popular Science, Zodiac Maritime said the decision was made to prioritize safety crew and abandon the vessel due to the intensity of the fire. Zodiac has appointed salvage company Resolve Marine to respond to the ongoing fire. A separate team of salvage specialists are expected to arrive on the scene by June 9. Zodiac says it's continuing to monitor the Midas' status via its onboard satellite-connected systems. 'As the search and rescue portion of our response concludes, our crews are working closely with the vessel's manager, Zodiac Maritime, to determine the disposition of the vessel,' US Coast Guard Seventeenth District Commander Rear Admiral Megan Dean said in a statement. '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.' Related: [Electric vehicle fires are rare, but challenging to extinguish] You've likely seen images of firefighters struggling to put out fires in Teslas and other large EVs. While EVs are statistically less likely to catch fire than vehicles with internal combustion engines, the fires that do occur are significantly more difficult to extinguish. That's due to a phenomenon known as thermal runaway. The large lithium-ion batteries that power EVs can short-circuit, triggering a chain reaction that eventually leads to ignition. Thermal runaway can take days, or even weeks, to manifest. But once ignited, these fires burn much hotter than those caused by traditional internal combustion engines. They can also reignite after being extinguished, making them especially challenging for firefighters to manage. Cargo ships are a perfect breeding ground for potentially dangerous fires. They're often tightly packed with vehicles and have limited ventilation, meaning a fire in one vehicle can quickly spread to others. And while ships are typically equipped with some firefighting systems, those measures may be insufficient once a blaze spreads across multiple vehicles. In 2022, a cargo ship transporting 4,000 vehicles caught fire in the Atlantic Ocean and eventually sank. Just a year later, another ship carrying around 3,000 vehicles caught fire off the Dutch coast. That incident killed one person and injured several others. Carmakers and battery suppliers are making efforts to improve the durability and reduce the risk of lithium ion fires. Just this week, Texas-based Alkegen, a major supplier of cell spacers used in batteries, announced commercial production of a new type of aerogel insulation they say can protect EV batteries from thermal runaway. Other companies have made improvements in monitoring systems to keep tabs on a battery's health and more intelligent charging protocols that prevent damage from occurring from overcharging. Even with those improvements though, the sheer scale of new EVs being shipped to meet increasing global demand means fires, either on ships or out on streets, aren't likely to go away anytime soon.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
22 rescued after ship carrying thousands of cars caught fire off Alaska
KODIAK, Alaska – Nearly two dozen crew members were rescued from a burning cargo ship that caught fire off the Alaska coast earlier this week. The U.s. Coast Guard responded to a large fire on the United Kingdom cargo ship Morning Midas carrying thousands of vehicles roughly 300 miles from Adak. The Coast Guard said 22 crew members were aboard the ship when the fire started. Photos from Tuesday show the ship smoking, as well as the Coast Guard's response. Cruise Ship Passenger In Italy Blown Overboard By Strong Winds Watchstanders immediately issued an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast requesting assistance from vessels in the vicinity of the Morning Midas. Three good Samaritan vessels responded to help. A Coast Guard ship and aircrew were directed to the scene as well. Live Video Awaits Moment Of Possible Underwater Volcanic Eruption Off West Coast All 22 crew members evacuated the ship in a life raft and were rescued without injuries by one of the Good Samaritans. "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," said Rear Admiral Megan Dean, commander of the Coast Guard's Seventeenth District. Watch: Sled Dog Puppy Cam At Denali National Park In Alaska Goes Live The Coast Guard said the boat was still smoking on Wednesday. The ship was estimated to have approximately 350 metric tons of gas fuel and 1,530 metric tons of very low sulfur fuel oil onboard. They were also reportedly carrying a total of 3,159 vehicles, with 65 being fully electric vehicles and 681 being partial hybrid electric vehicles, the Coast Guard said. How To Watch Fox Weather The cause of the fire is article source: 22 rescued after ship carrying thousands of cars caught fire off Alaska
New York Post
5 days ago
- General
- New York Post
22 crew members rescued after cargo ship carrying 3,000 electric vehicles catches fire near 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 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. Advertisement 4 Smoke rose from The Morning Midas when it was approximately 300 miles south of Adak, Alaska. AP 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. 4 The ship was carrying around 800 electric vehicles from China en route to Mexico. via REUTERS Advertisement 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.' 4 The crew abandoned the ship after they could not control a fire. AP 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. Advertisement 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. 4 '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,' Rear Admiral Megan Dean said. AP The 600-foot (183-meter) Morning Midas, a car and truck carrier, was built in 2006 and sails under a Liberian flag. Advertisement 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.
Time of India
5 days ago
- General
- Time of India
Cargo ship carrying electric vehicles catches fire off Alaska – key points you need to know
Journey from China to Mexico Interrupted by Fire Smoke and Flames from the EV Deck Live Events Fire Suppression System Failed to Contain Flames Authorities Responding, Tugboat En Route FAQs (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel A cargo ship, which started its journey from Yantai, China, on May 26, to ship cars to Lazaro Cardenas, a major Pacific port in Mexico, caught fire in the waters off Alaska's Aleutian island chain on Wednesday, as per a 600-foot (183-meter) Morning Midas , which is a car and truck carrier, was carrying 3,000 vehicles, including 800 electric vehicles , as per 22 crew members on board, abandoned the Morning Midas after it caught fire and were evacuated onto a lifeboat and rescued by the crew of a nearby merchant vessel named the Cosco Hellas in the North Pacific, about 300 miles (490 kilometres) southwest of Adak Island , reported READ: Trump's travel ban: After restricting entry of people from 19 nations, President says this country is next US Coast Guard photos and a Wednesday statement from the ship's management company, Zodiac Maritime , highlighted that a large plume of smoke was initially seen at the ship's stern coming from the deck loaded with electric vehicles on Tuesday, reported the crew had initially started the emergency firefighting procedures with the ship's onboard fire suppression system, they were not able to bring the flames under control, as per the Maritime said, '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,' adding, 'Our priorities are to ensure the continued safety of the crew and protect the marine environment,' quoted Coast Guards said that the status of the fire onboard the ship was not known as of Wednesday afternoon, but the smoke was still emanating from the Morning Midas, according to the Admiral Megan Dean, commander of the Coast Guard's Seventeenth District, shared that the search and rescue part of the response had concluded and now the Coast Guard was working with Zodiac Maritime to figure out how to recover the ship and what will be done with it, as per Morning Midas caught fire while transporting 3,000 vehicles, including 800 electric cars, across the Pacific all 22 crew members were safely evacuated and rescued without injuries.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
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.
