‘Burnt through’: Pics reveal EV inferno horror
There are concerns an abandoned EV carrier floating aimlessly in the Pacific Ocean could continue to burn for weeks, as horror pics have revealed the true scale of the at-sea inferno.
There are concerns an abandoned EV carrier floating aimlessly in the Pacific Ocean could continue to burn for weeks, as horror pics have revealed the true scale of the at-sea inferno.
Salvage operators have finally reached the Morning Midas around 350km south of Adak, Alaska, a week after it first caught fire and 22 crew were rescued by the US Coast Guard after being forced to abandon ship.
The floating inferno is said to have been caused by the lithium-iron batteries in the 70 electric vehicles on board – batteries that are can cause fires that can burn for weeks.
According to the US Coast Guard Alaska, the salvage tug Gretchen Dunlap arrived at the scene of the still-burning Morning Midas on Tuesday (local time) to begin an assessment of the damage, which is expected to cost in the vicinity of $80m.
Additional salvage tugs are expected to arrive in two weeks, and as yet there are no signs of pollution.
The salvage operation isn’t being made any easier by large waves and strong winds.
“The Coast Guard is in close communication with Zodiac Maritime as their salvors, Resolve Marine, develop comprehensive salvage and safety plans,” USGC Alaska said in a media statement on Tuesday (local time).
“The Coast Guard is providing its expertise to ensure the plans are as safe and effective as possible.
The Coast Guard is closely monitoring weather conditions to inform response efforts.
“As of 12:20 p.m. Monday, the on-scene weather included 45-50 knot winds and 6-foot seas.
“The Coast Guard is tracking the vessel’s position and condition through regular overflights, information from on-scene responders, and drift analysis conducted in conjunction with information from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Office of Response and Restoration.
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“As of 7 a.m. Monday, the Morning Midas was reported to be drifting northeast at approximately 1.8 miles per hour.”
That update came alongside the release of new pics that revealed the extent of the week long fire, which is said to have started in the deck where the EVs were being ferried.
In the pictures, large sections of the ship can been seen completely burned through, with smoke indicated that the fire is still burning.
“The safety of the public, responders, and vessel crews operating in the area remains our top priority,” said Rear Adm. Megan Dean, commander of the Coast Guard’s Seventeenth District.
“We are working closely with Zodiac Maritime to ensure a safe and effective plan to address the fire and mitigate any potential impacts to the environment.”
The ship is not listing and there are no fears at this stage that it could sink.
3000 CARS, $80M LOST
There are fears the abandoned cargo carrier floating in the Pacific Ocean will be unsalvagable, leaving more than 3000 cars destroyed, the vessel unsailable and a potential environmental catastrophe in the making.
A week after the Morning Midas was abandoned off the coast of Alasak, rescue crews are finally expected to reach it on Tuesday (local time).
Three tug boats are en route to the ship, which was carrying 3,048 cars, 70 of which are fully electric and 681 are hybrid vehicles from China to Mexico before fire broke out on board on June 3.
The 22 crew were unable to bring the fire under control and were forced to abandon the ship, after being rescued by the US Coast Guard.
A flyover by the Coast Guard on Sunday, reported the ship was still burning, but that it wasn’t listing and there was no ‘observed’ pollution in the water.
However the salvage team will better be able to see the impact and scale of the disaster.
Local media reports said lithium-iron batteries from one or several of the electric vehicles on board may have been the cause of the blaze.
The cargo is valued at around $US80 ($122m), all of which may be lost.
“A car carrier with 3,000 vehicles (800 EVs, 681 hybrids) caught fire on June 3, 2025, 450 km southwest of Adak Island, Alaska, en route to Mexico,” the latest communique from the US Coast Guard, read.
“The crew of 22 was safely evacuated by the US Coast Guard. The fire, possibly from the EV deck, continues to burn.
“A salvage team will assess next week.”
ABANDONED EV SHIP ‘BURNING OUT OF CONTROL’
A cargo ship abandoned in the Pacific Ocean, will continue to burn out of control for at least a week, as authorities struggle to rescue the stricken vessel.
The Morning Midas was carrying around 3000 cars en route from China to Mexico when it caught fire about 450km southwest of Alaska’s Adak Island.
The ship was ferrying 3,048 cars, 70 of which are fully electric and 681 are hybrid vehicles.
According to unconfirmed reports, the fire broke out on one of the decks carrying the EVs.
The US Coast Guard Alaska Division was called to the scene of the disaster by a distress call at around 3.15pm on Tuesday June 3 (local time) and first witnessed smoke coming from the deck of the vessel, where the EVs were said to be stowed.
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The crew of the Morning Midas were unable to get the fire under control and in consultation with the US Coast Guard decided to abandon ship, with all 22 sailors taken to safety.
As the ship continues to burn, salvage operators appointed by the ship’s owner Zodiac Marine, are not expected to reach the vessel, until ‘approximately June 9’ which means it will have been on fire for a week by then.
“A first tug carrying a team of salvage specialists and specialised equipment has already been mobilised and is expected to arrive at the scene on approximately 9 June,” Zodiac Marine said in a statement.
“There it will assess the vessel’s condition and provide necessary support. An additional fire-fighting tug, capable of ocean towage, is also being arranged to provide further support.”
The incident has underlined the safety issues with transporting electric vehicles whose lithium ion batteries can catch fire and are very hard to put out – sometime burning for two weeks.
The fire is said to have taken root on one of the under decks carrying the electric vehicles.
Zodiac praised its crews efforts to fight the fire and said all of its fire suppression systems were ‘fully operational’ at the time of the inciden
However the Morning Midas’ crew couldn’t get the fire under control and the decision was made to abandon ship.
The crew were evacuated into two lifeboats and rescue by the nearby vessel Cosco Hellas.
“Due to the intensity of the fire and to prioritise crew safety, the decision was made to abandon the vessel,” Zodiac said. “We are grateful to the crew of the Cosco Hellas for their swift assistance.
The incident happened about 1000 nautical miles from where the oil tanker Exxon Valdez ran aground in Prince William Sound in 1989, which was then one of the world’s worst environmental disasters.
“As the search and rescue portion of our response concludes, our crews are working closely with the vessel’s parent company, Zodiac Maritime, to determine the disposition of the vessel,” said Rear Admiral Megan Dean, commander of the Coast Guard’s Seventeenth District.
STATUS UNKNOWN
The current status of the ship is unknown with the US Coast Guard last witnessing smoke pouring out of the ship.
“We are grateful for the selfless actions of the three nearby vessels who assisted in the response and the crew of motor vessel Cosco Hellas, who helped save 22 lives.”
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The 46,800 tone Morning Midas, which flies under the Liberia flag, was built by the Xiamen Shipbuilding Industry Co, in 2006, The Seattle Times reported.
It left the Chinese port of Yantai on May 6, according to Bloomberg. It was en route to Lazaro Cardenas in Mexico.
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DANGERS OF FERRYING EVS, HYBRIDS
This isn’t the first time a car-carrying ship has burnt down with EVs on board.
In 2023 the Fremantle Highway, a car carrying ship, caught fire with about 3000 cars on board near the Netherlands. It followed the 2022 Felicity Ace disaster – a ship that caught fire in the Atlantic with around 4000 vehicles on board. The crew abandoned ship, setting the enormous car carrier adrift near Portugal. The vessel capsized and sank with a full load of luxury vehicles including 1100 Porsches. A lawsuit took aim at Porsche for the Felicity Ace fire, blaming its electric cars for the fire.
Electric vehicle fires are notoriously difficult to put out.
Porsche spokesman Björn Förster said in 2024 that “thermal runaway” fires involving electric cars cannot be stopped by conventional means.
“When the car is burning, it will be burning for two weeks,” he said.
Following the Felicity Ace fire, Australian vehicle importer Neville Crichton said he had no doubt the incidents would drive up the retail price of vehicles, as insurance companies had dramatically increased the cost of coverage for cars at sea.
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Originally published as ‘Burnt through’: Pics reveal EV inferno horror
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