More About Morning Midas Cargo Ship Fire: Vessel Carrying 3,000 Cars Sinks in Shocking Disaster
A cargo ship that had caught fire off the coast of Alaska sank in the Pacific Ocean on Monday after it had been burning for three weeks. The ship lowered hundreds of automobiles stored in its hold to the ocean floor.
The Morning Midas sank 360 nautical miles from land due to damage from both the fire and heavy weather, according to a statement released by Zodiac Maritime, the ship’s manager. According to the firm, none of the ship’s passengers or cargo was rescued before the ship went down.
According to the United States Coast Guard, the ship, which measured 600 feet in length, was transporting more than 2,000 conventional vehicles in addition to 70 hybrid vehicles and 681 electric vehicles.
At the same time, it was carrying more than 1,800 metric tons of ship fuel, which increased the likelihood of an oil spill occurring. According to a statement released by the Coast Guard on Tuesday, there were clearly no indications of pollution in the water.
Two salvage tugboats remained near the location where the ship sank to keep an eye out for any debris or pollution, and Zodiac Maritime reported that another vessel was on its way to the area to safeguard the environment of the ocean.
A lifeboat was used to evacuate all 22 crew members of the Morning Midas, and they were rescued by another commercial vessel shortly after the fire broke out on June 3, while the vessel was around 1,200 miles away from Anchorage.
A voyage from China to Mexico had been taking place on the ship. According to Zodiac Maritime, smoke began to rise from a deck that was carrying electric vehicles, and when the crew realized they were unable to stop the fire, they sent out a distress call.
Rescue and firefighting vessels finally encountered the Morning Midas a week after the fire began. Rescue and firefighting vessels extinguished the fire before the ship finally sank. An investigation into the cause of the fire will be carried out by Liberia, the nation whose flag the ship was flying, while Zodiac Maritime will conduct a separate investigation.
According to Zodiac Maritime and the Coast Guard, it is too early to establish whether the fire was caused by the electric cars. Quotes from both organizations confirm this. Electric vehicles utilize lithium-ion batteries.
These batteries have the potential to overheat, which can result in fires that spread quickly and release hazardous gasses. As a result, it is difficult and dangerous to put out these fires.
