A cargo ship carrying approximately 3,000 vehicles, including 800 electric cars, departed from Yantai Port heading to Mexico, caught fire in the waters off Alaska. The shipowner announced on Wednesday (June 4) that due to the uncontrollable blaze, the crew had to abandon ship.
Zodiac Maritime, the shipowner, stated that all 22 crew members had been safely evacuated after failed attempts to extinguish the fire, and efforts have now shifted towards salvaging the vessel. The crew members were safely transferred to nearby commercial ships with the assistance of the U.S. Coast Guard through lifeboats. Meanwhile, thousands of brand-new cars on board were left behind.
The U.S. Coast Guard reported on social media platform X that the vessel named “Morning Midas” was on fire approximately 300 miles (482.8 kilometers) southwest of Adak, Alaska.
According to data from the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG), the “Morning Midas” flies the flag of Liberia and set sail from Yantai, Shandong on May 26, originally destined for Lazaro Cardenas Port in Mexico. The ship was carrying around 3,000 vehicles, including approximately 800 electric cars.
However, after 8 days of the 19-day voyage of the “Morning Midas,” on June 3rd just past midnight Greenwich Mean Time (7 PM Eastern Time), smoke was spotted emanating from one of the decks. Zodiac Maritime later confirmed that the fire originated from the section carrying the electric cars on board. The brand of the vehicles aboard the ship is currently unknown.
Fires related to electric vehicles on board ships are challenging to extinguish due to the generated heat and risk of reignition, sometimes lasting for several days.
The U.S. Coast Guard deployed aircraft and patrol vessels for support, and three ships have arrived at the scene. As of writing this, the fire is still raging, and the situation of the thousands of cars on board remains unclear.
This isn’t the first time a ship carrying electric vehicles has caught fire at sea. In 2022, a vessel transporting 4,000 luxury cars, including Porsches and Bentleys, caught fire and eventually sank near the Azores Islands of Portugal after burning for nearly two weeks.
According to Reuters, ship fires, especially on container ships, car carriers, and Roll-on/Roll-off (RoRo) vessels, are significant risks of concern for insurers.
Allianz Commercial Insurance stated that in 2024, incidents of ship fires reached the highest level in the past decade.
“The fact is, the complexity of these large vessels and the firefighting and salvage operations involved continue to pose extremely high risks,” Allianz stated in its 2025 report on maritime shipping and safety.