A cargo ship carrying 3,000 vehicles, including 800 electric vehicles, caught fire off the Aleutian Islands in Alaska, prompting the crew to abandon ship.
The fire broke out at the ship’s stern on Tuesday, and a large plume of smoke was observed coming from the deck loaded with electric vehicles, as illustrated in photos released by the U.S. Coast Guard.
All 22 crew members aboard the Morning Midas managed to escape unharmed.
They were evacuated onto a lifeboat and later rescued by the crew of the merchant vessel Cosco Hellas, approximately 300 miles southwest of Adak Island.
Adak Island is situated about 1,200 miles west of Anchorage, Alaska’s largest city.
The ship’s management company, London-based Zodiac Maritime, stated that the crew had initiated emergency firefighting procedures using the onboard fire suppression system but were unable to control the flames.
As smoke continued to emanate from the vessel, Zodiac Maritime confirmed they were coordinating with relevant authorities and emergency responders.
They have also deployed a tugboat to assist in salvage and firefighting efforts.
“Our priorities are to ensure the continued safety of the crew and protect the marine environment,” Zodiac Maritime added in their statement.
The U.S. Coast Guard took swift action by sending aircrews to Adak as well as a ship to the area.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the status of the fire remained uncertain, with smoke still visible from the vessel, according to the Coast Guard.
Rear Admiral Megan Dean, the commander of the Coast Guard’s Seventeenth District, praised the nearby vessels for their prompt actions to assist in the rescue efforts.
“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 stated.
The Morning Midas, a 600-foot car and truck carrier built in 2006, flies the Liberian flag.
The vehicles onboard were initially shipped from Yantai, China, on May 26, heading to Lazaro Cardenas, a significant Pacific port in Mexico.
This incident comes on the heels of another maritime fire incident earlier this month, which drew attention to safety concerns in shipping routes.
A Dutch safety board has called for improvements in emergency response protocols following a fire on a freighter carrying 3,000 automobiles, which included nearly 500 electric vehicles, from Germany to Singapore.
That fire resulted in one fatality, multiple injuries, and raged out of control for a week before the vessel was ultimately towed to a port in northern Netherlands for salvage.
The recent events have heightened scrutiny regarding safety on the open sea, particularly concerning the rise in size of cargo vessels and the challenges they bring.
With more than 80% of international trade by volume being transported by sea, ensuring the safe passage of cargo vessels has become increasingly critical.
image source from：https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/22-crew-members-safe-after-fire-aboard-cargo-122501318
