A cargo ship, transporting 3,048 new vehicles from China to Mexico, sank in the North Pacific Ocean on June 23. This followed a fire that broke out earlier in the month.
The Morning Midas, departing from Yantai, China on May 26, was en route to Lázaro Cárdenas port in Michoacán. It sank in international waters near Alaska’s Aleutian Islands after the crew abandoned it.
The vessel’s cargo included approximately 800 electric vehicles by Chinese automakers Chirey and Great Wall Motor, and China-produced General Motors vehicles. It was chartered by Anji Logistics, a subsidiary of Chinese automaker SAIC Motor.
The U.S. Coast Guard received a distress alert on June 3 when a fire was detected aboard. Initial reports indicated smoke was first observed coming from the stern deck area where electric vehicles were loaded. Preliminary investigations suggest the fire may have originated from one of the EVs on board.
Despite salvage efforts that began on June 9, the combination of fire damage, water seepage, and adverse weather conditions led to the ship’s sinking in waters approximately 16,404 feet deep.
All 22 crew members were safely evacuated to a lifeboat and rescued by a merchant marine vessel with no injuries reported.
Environmental concerns persist as the vessel was carrying approximately:
- 350 metric tons of gas fuel
- 1,530 metric tons of very low sulfur fuel oil
The Coast Guard reports no visible pollution so far, but monitoring continues with specialized vessels on scene.
For more details, visit the full article on Mexico News Daily.
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