, which was carrying around 3,000 new cars to Mexico, sank in the North Pacific Ocean near Alaska. The ship had caught fire weeks earlier and couldn’t be saved.The ship caught fire on June 3 while sailing about 300 miles southwest of Adak Island, Alaska. The fire was big, the 22 crew members had to evacuate into a lifeboat and were rescued safely by a merchant ship nearby.
No one was hurt in the fire or the rescue. After the fire, the ship was left disabled in the ocean, and a salvage crew reached it days later. On Monday, the ship finally sank in deep international waters, about 415 miles away from land near Alaska’s Aleutian Islands.
The water there is around 16,400 feet deep, making recovery tough. The sinking was caused by a mix of fire damage, bad weather, and water leaks. The ship was carrying about 70 fully electric cars and 680 hybrid vehicles, which were likely affected by the fire, according to a CBS News report. The ship had left Yantai, China, on May 26, heading toward Mexico. The Morning Midas was 600 feet long, built in 2006, and was sailing under the Liberian flag. There was a lot of fuel on board, about 350 metric tons of marine gas oil and 1,530 metric tons of very low sulfur fuel oil.
There was a lot of fuel on board, about 350 metric tons of marine gas oil and 1,530 metric tons of very low sulfur fuel oil. The U.S. Coast Guard said there's no pollution seen right now but ships are nearby in case anything spills. Two salvage tug boats with pollution control gear are staying at the spot to watch for oil or debris. The crew of those tugs are safe, as stated by CBS News report. A special pollution control ship is also being sent just in case. Captain Christopher Culpepper from the U.S. Coast Guard said they’re focused on safety and working closely with Zodiac to handle any pollution quickly. A similar tragedy happened in 2023, where another ship carrying 3,000 cars caught fire including 500 EVs and burned for a week. One person died in that case. The Dutch safety board now wants to improve emergency plans for ships carrying electric vehicles, according to the CBS News report. The Morning Midas caught fire and later sank in the North Pacific Ocean near Alaska.
It was carrying around 3,000 new vehicles, including 70 electric and 680 hybrid cars.
