A cargo ship with around 3000 vehicles on board was abandoned off the coast of Alaska after a fire broke out. The 22 crew members were evacuated after they couldn’t put out the flames.
The ship, called Morning Midas, was about 300 miles southwest of Adak, Alaska. It had left the port of Yantai, China on May 26 and was headed to Lazaro Cardenas, Mexico.
The US Coast Guard sent air crew and a support ship to help. The fire was first spotted on a deck loaded with electric vehicles.
The crew was rescued using lifeboats and taken to a nearby merchant ship. The Coast Guard said 3048 vehicles were on board, including 70 fully electric and 681 hybrid-electric cars.
It’s still unclear what’s happening with the fire, but smoke is still coming from the ship. The Coast Guard is working with the ship’s operator, Zodiac Maritime, to figure out what to do next.
Investigation underway
Contra-almirante Megan Dean from the US Coast Guard said they’re grateful for the help of nearby ships and the crew of the Cosco Hellas ship, which assisted in saving 22 lives.
The incident is under investigation, and the cause of the fire has not been determined. The Morning Midas ship is still adrift, with its fate uncertain.