Latest news with #Adak
Daily Mail
25-06-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Cargo ship stuffed with EVs catches fire and sinks off coast of Alaska
A fire that started on a cargo ship nearly a month ago has come to a dramatic end, with the boat finally sinking off the coast of Alaska. On June 3, the Morning Midas was making the journey from China to Mexico towing electric vehicles, hybrid cars, and thousands of conventional automobiles when smoke began to rise from its EV floor and flames quickly spread. After three weeks of tense burning, the 600-foot ship finally sank the evening of June 23, 450 miles southwest of Adak, Alaska. The United States Coast Guard estimated that it plunged 16,400 feet into international waters. By then the fire was completely extinguished, but none of the 70 EVs, 681 hybrid cars or 2,000 conventional vehicles were salvaged, per the United States Coast guard. Electric vehicles contain lithium batteries, which, when subjected to heat, can cause rapidly spreading fires and toxic gasses, which make fires started from lithium batteries often unwieldy. Officials have not stated whether that was the cause of the fire. Not only did the boat endure damage from the flames, but according to London-based Zodiac Maritime, who managed the fallen ship: 'Damage caused by the fire, compounded by heavy weather and subsequent water ingress, caused the Morning Midas to sink.' Aboard the ship at the time of the initial incident were 22 crew members, all of whom were safely evacuated on lifeboats shortly after the initial flame on June 3, traveling several hundred miles back to safety. They attempted to extinguish the flames, but had to send out the distress alert to nearby Coast Guard when the fire became unmanageable. Fire and salvage mariners arrived a week later to take care of the burning vessel. The ship, which also carried nearly 2,000 tons of fuel, now poses a risk for pollution on the Alaskan coast. In a statement to the Daily Mail, Zodiac Maritime said: 'As a precaution, two salvage tugs containing pollution control equipment remain on site to monitor for any signs of pollution or debris. 'Their crews are safe. A specialized pollution response vessel is also en-route to the location as an additional precaution. 'All operations continue to prioritize the safety of personnel and the protection of the marine environment. 'We remain in close coordination with Resolve Marine and the United States Coast Guard, and we extend our sincere thanks for their professionalism, swift response, and continued collaboration.' One Tuesday, there were no visible signs of pollution, but Zodiac Maritime has continued to monitor the water space. The United States Coast Guard had also been keeping an eye on the situation and providing status updates about the Morning Midas. On Tuesday they wrote: 'The oil spill response vessel Endeavour is en route from Dutch Harbor and is expected to arrive on scene Thursday. 'The Endeavour is equipped with additional pollution response equipment including an oil spill containment and recovery system.' According to Captain Cristopher Culpeper, the commander of Coast Guard Sector Western Alaska and U.S. Arctic, 'The safety of the responders remains our top priority. We're working closely with Zodiac Maritime in an advisory capacity to ensure a swift and effective response to any potential signs of pollution.' Culpeper and the Coast Guard said in their statement that no injuries have been reported during the response to this catastrophe.
Malay Mail
07-06-2025
- General
- Malay Mail
Fire on EV-loaded cargo ship off Alaska left to burn until salvage team arrives
WASHINGTON, June 7 — A fire on a cargo ship carrying electric vehicles off the coast of Alaska was left burning with salvage teams expected to intervene on Monday, according to media reports. The Alaskan coastguard received a distress call on Tuesday reporting a fire onboard the Morning Midas, a British-managed cargo ship with 22 crew members and carrying thousands of vehicles. The crew evacuated on a lifeboat before being rescued by another private vessel. An overflight of the cargo ship, currently located around 340 miles (547 kilometers) southwest of Adak, confirmed the ship was still burning on Wednesday, the coastguard said in a statement. 'Currently, there are no visual indications that the ship is taking on water or listing, and the extent of the damage is unknown,' it said. Dustin Eno, a spokesman for the ship's management company Zodiac Maritime, said there were no firefighting vessels nearby to help extinguish the blaze, the New York Times reported. A salvage team was expected to arrive on Monday, the outlet and the Los Angeles Times said. Video footage released by the coastguard shows smoke rising from the 600-foot (183-meter) vessel, which is reported to be carrying more than 3,000 vehicles, around 750 of which are electric or hybrid. Electric vehicles contain lithium-ion batteries, which are generally safe but can overheat and ignite if damaged. The ship is also estimated to be carrying hundreds of metric tons of gas fuel, according to the coastguard. — AFP
Al Arabiya
07-06-2025
- General
- Al Arabiya
Fire on cargo ship off Alaska carrying EVS left burning
A fire on a cargo ship carrying electric vehicles off the coast of Alaska was left burning with salvage teams expected to intervene on Monday, according to media reports. The Alaskan coastguard received a distress call on Tuesday reporting a fire onboard the Morning Midas, a British-managed cargo ship with 22 crew members and carrying thousands of vehicles. The crew evacuated on a lifeboat before being rescued by another private vessel. An overflight of the cargo ship, currently located around 340 miles (547 kilometers) southwest of Adak, confirmed the ship was still burning on Wednesday, the coastguard said in a statement. 'Currently, there are no visual indications that the ship is taking on water or listing, and the extent of the damage is unknown,' it said. Dustin Eno, a spokesman for the ship's management company Zodiac Maritime, said there were no firefighting vessels nearby to help extinguish the blaze, the New York Times reported. A salvage team was expected to arrive on Monday, the outlet and the Los Angeles Times said. Video footage released by the coastguard shows smoke rising from the 600-foot (183-meter) vessel, which is reported to be carrying more than 3,000 vehicles, around 750 of which are electric or hybrid. Electric vehicles contain lithium-ion batteries, which are generally safe but can overheat and ignite if damaged. The ship is also estimated to be carrying hundreds of metric tons of gas fuel, according to the coastguard.
Arab News
07-06-2025
- General
- Arab News
Fire on cargo ship off Alaska carrying EVs left burning
WASHINGTON: A fire on a cargo ship carrying electric vehicles off the coast of Alaska was left burning with salvage teams expected to intervene on Monday, according to media reports. The Alaskan coast guard received a distress call on Tuesday reporting a fire onboard the Morning Midas, a British-managed cargo ship with 22 crew members and carrying thousands of vehicles. The crew evacuated on a lifeboat before being rescued by another private vessel. An overflight of the cargo ship, currently located around 547 kilometers southwest of Adak, confirmed the ship was still burning on Wednesday, the coast guard said in a statement. 'Currently, there are no visual indications that the ship is taking on water or listing, and the extent of the damage is unknown,' it said. Dustin Eno, a spokesman for the ship's management company Zodiac Maritime, said there were no firefighting vessels nearby to help extinguish the blaze, the New York Times reported. A salvage team was expected to arrive on Monday, the outlet and the Los Angeles Times said. Video footage released by the coast guard shows smoke rising from the 183-meter vessel, which is reported to be carrying more than 3,000 vehicles, around 750 of which are electric or hybrid. Electric vehicles contain lithium-ion batteries, which are generally safe but can overheat and ignite if damaged. The ship is also estimated to be carrying hundreds of metric tons of gas fuel, according to the coast guard.
The Independent
05-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Independent
Salvage crew bound for the site of a cargo ship fire off the coast of Alaska
A salvage team is 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 is 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 is being arranged, the company said in its statement. In the meantime, officials are using the ship's onboard satellite-connected systems to monitor it. The vessel remained afloat as of Thursday morning, and images gathered by the U.S. Coast Guard showed it was still 'alight with smoke emanating' from it, the statement said. The Coast Guard has said it received a distress alert around 3:15 p.m. Tuesday about a fire aboard the Morning Midas, which was roughly 300 miles (490 kilometers) 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. Adak is about 1,200 miles (1,930 kilometers) west of Anchorage, Alaska's largest city. All 22 Morning Midas crew members were uninjured. They were evacuated onto a lifeboat and a nearby merchant vessel rescued them. They remained onboard the rescue vessel Thursday, according to Zodiac Maritime. The 600-foot (183-meter) Morning Midas was built in 2006 and sails under a Liberian flag. The car and truck carrier left Yantai, China, on May 26, according to the industry site It was headed to a major Pacific port in Mexico. A Dutch safety board in a recent report called for improving emergency response on North Sea shipping routes after a deadly 2023 fire aboard a freighter that was carrying 3,000 automobiles, including nearly 500 electric vehicles, from Germany to Singapore. One person was killed and others injured in the fire, which burned out of control for a week. That ship was eventually towed to a Netherlands port for salvage.
