A 600-foot cargo ship carrying thousands of vehicles sank Monday in the North Pacific weeks after catching fire at sea. Officials confirmed that the Morning Midas cargo ship sank approximately 450 miles southwest of Adak, Alaska, in waters over 16,000 feet deep.
The US Coast Guard said the vessel had been drifting since June 3 when a fire broke out mid-voyage. All 22 crew members safely evacuated into lifeboats and were rescued by a nearby merchant vessel responding to the distress call.
The ship, registered under a Librarian flag, was headed from Yantai, China, to a significant port in Mexico. When the fire began on its upper deck, it was carrying 3,048 new vehicles, including 70 electric and 681 hybrid cars.
Officials said a large plume of smoke was visible, raising early concerns about the electric vehicle onboard. The ship´s operator, Zodiac Maritime, reported that salvage crews attempted to stabilize the boat before worsening weather caused additional damage.
The fire and sea conditions made recovery efforts impossible, and the ship eventually capsized and sank. According to the Coast Guard, the Morning Midas carried 1,530 metric tons of low-sulfur fuel oil and 350 metric tons of marine gas oil. Despite this, no significant pollution was reported, although vessels remain onsite for continued monitoring.
Captain Christopher Culpepper of the US Coast Guard said responder safety remains the top concern as teams remain in advisory roles. An oil spill response vessel, the Endeavour, is en-route, and additional pollution control vessels remain stationed there.
