A cargo ship carrying thousands of vehicles, some of them electric, caught fire about 300 miles south of Adak Tuesday. The Coast Guard is responding to the incident and the ship’s crew was rescued without injuries.
All 22 crew members aboard the Morning Midas were evacuated onto a good Samaritan vessel, the Malta-flagged Cosco Hellas. A Coast Guard representative said the Morning Midas crew is expected to remain aboard the Cosco Hellas as it continues toward its final destination in Panama.
A Coast Guard cutter and aircraft crews responded to the distressed ship Tuesday afternoon and into Wednesday. Smoke is still coming from the vessel, but it isn’t clear what the fire’s status is.
Adak City Manager Breck Craig was not immediately able to comment.
The 600-foot, Liberia-flagged Morning Midas was carrying thousands of vehicles to Mexico when the fire broke out. The vessel is operated by London-based shipping company Zodiac Maritime.
Zodiac representatives said in a statement that Morning Midas crewmembers started firefighting procedures immediately, but the situation “could not be brought under control.”
The company said it will work to salvage the vessel. A tugboat was deployed to support those efforts, as well as firefighting needs.
Company representatives said their priorities are to ensure crew safety and protect the marine environment.
The Morning Midas is reportedly carrying more than 3,000 vehicles, some of which are hybrid or fully electric. Those vehicles have large batteries that can be dangerous when burned, as battery fires are hard to extinguish and come with risks of explosions and toxic fumes. The ship is also believed to be carrying over 300 metric tons of gas fuel and 1,500 metric tons of fuel oil.
