A cargo ship carrying about 3,000 vehicles, including 800 electric cars, caught fire off the coast of Alaska, and the crew ultimately abandoned ship to escape.
International ship management company Zodiac Maritime issued a statement on the 4th, noting that 22 crew members initiated firefighting procedures, but after failing to extinguish the fire, they evacuated using lifeboats and were transferred by the U.S. Coast Guard to a nearby merchant ship.
The Coast Guard said on the social media platform X that the cargo ship was located 300 miles southwest of Adak Island, Alaska. The Coast Guard dispatched an aviation crew and a fast response cutter to assist with the incident, and three other ships arrived at the scene.
The Coast Guard reported that authorities received the distress call at around 3:15 pm on June 3.
The crew of the burning vessel 'Morning Midas' initially observed smoke emanating from the deck loaded with electric cars. There are approximately 800 electric cars onboard, but it is unclear which brands they are.
It is understood that the ship flying the Liberian flag departed from Yantai Port, China, on May 26, heading to Cárdenas, Mexico.