Burning Morning Midas Car Carrier Ship Sinks In Pacific

A cargo ship full of 3,048 vehicles including 70 electric vehicles and 681 hybrids being delivered from China to Mexico that caught fire on June 4 has sunk.

The cause of the fire remains unknown, but it started in a part of the Morning Midas where some of the 70 electric vehicles and 681 hybrid vehicles on board were stowed.

The ship’s management company, Zodiac Maritime, said in a statement released on Tuesday that it sank on Monday.

“Damage caused by the fire, compounded by heavy weather and subsequent water ingress, caused the Morning Midas  to sink at around 16:35 local time zone (UTC -9) on 23 June, in waters approximately 5,000 meters deep and 360 nautical miles from land,” ship manager Zodiac Maritime said in an update.

“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,” the statement provided to World Cargo News said.

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The U.S. Coast Guard assisted in rescuing the 22 crew on board the 600-meter ship, which was originally abandoned roughly 300 miles from Adak, Alaska, and was monitoring the salvage operation.

In a post on June 16, the Coast Guard said in a news update that the tractor tug Garth Foss “took over the tow of the Morning Midas (350 mi SW Adak) & is controlling vessel’s movement awaiting arrival of long-range towing vessel in about a week. No signs of smoke, flames, flooding, or pollution.”

The incident is similar to one that occurred in the February 2022, when the Feliciy Ace car carrier caught fire in the Atlantic and burned for several weeks before sinking near the Azores with nearly 4,000 automobiles on board, including electric vehicles.