Fire-damaged Morning Midas car carrier sinks

The salvors, Resolve Marine, have reported that the Morning Midas car carrier sank in international waters in the North Pacific, following a fire that broke out onboard on June 3.

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 June 23, in waters approximately 5,000 m deep and 360 nautical miles from land.

As a precaution, two salvage tugs containing pollution control equipment remain on site to monitor for any signs of pollution or debris.

The Liberian-flagged car carrier Morning Midas, managed by Zodiac Maritime, caught fire approximately 360 miles southwest of Adak, Alaska, while en route from Yantai, China, to Lázaro Cárdenas, Mexico. The vessel was transporting over 3,000 vehicles, including approximately 70 fully electric and 681 hybrid models. The fire reportedly originated on a deck housing electric vehicles, raising concerns once again about the risks associated with lithium-ion batteries in maritime transport.

Despite the crew’s efforts to contain the blaze using onboard suppression systems, the fire intensified, leading to the evacuation of all 22 crewmembers, who were safely rescued by the nearby containership COSCO Hellas.

Source: Splash 247

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