A cargo ship carrying 3,048 vehicles, including 70 electric and 681 hybrid models, sank in international waters southwest of Alaska on June 23 following a catastrophic fire and worsening weather conditions, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
The Morning Midas, a 600-foot, Liberian-flagged vessel operated by London-based Zodiac Maritime, capsized around 5:30 p.m. June 23, roughly 450 miles southwest of Adak, AK. The ship had originally been en route from China to Lázaro Cárdenas, Mexico.
The vessel had been severely damaged by a fire that broke out June 3 in the section containing electric vehicles, prompting the evacuation of all 22 crew members. The U.S. Coast Guard coordinated their safe transfer via lifeboat to a nearby merchant vessel. No injuries were reported.
According to Zodiac Maritime, the fire damage, compounded by heavy weather and subsequent water ingress, led to the ship’s sinking.
At the time of the incident, the Morning Midas was carrying 1,530 metric tons of very low-sulfur fuel oil and 350 tons of marine gas oil. Despite the potential environmental hazard, the Coast Guard reported no visible signs of pollution but said it is actively monitoring the area with Zodiac Maritime and Resolve Marine.
“Two salvage vessels, Garth Foss and Salvage Worker, remain on scene and are conducting continuous assessments of the area with pollution response equipment onboard to respond to any potential signs of pollution,” the Coast Guard said in a statement.
An additional oil spill response vessel, Endeavour, is scheduled to arrive June 26 to assist with containment and recovery efforts.
“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,” Zodiac Maritime said in a statement shared with USA TODAY on June 25.
The incident raises concerns about the safe transport of electric and hybrid vehicles at sea, as well as the risk of environmental contamination from sunken vessels carrying fuel and batteries.
