Cargo Ship Transporting 3,000 Vehicles Sinks Off Alaska’s Coast

A cargo ship that caught fire earlier this month has sunk, according to information revealed by the firm that owns the vessel. Zodiac Maritime, the company owning the ill-fated Morning Midas, explained that the ship sustained extensive damage during the fire and on June 23, heavy weather caused water to enter the vessel, resulting in the ship going under.

On June 3, the ship caught fire, reportedly starting from a deck that was carrying EVs. In total, the ship’s cargo included 3,000 vehicles, 800 of which were electric vehicles. Morning Midas was en route from Yantai in China and the cargo was destined for Lazaro Cardenas port in Mexico. When the fire broke out, the 22 people aboard the ship attempted to put out the fire but failed. They consequently launched a lifeboat and abandoned the ship.

No one was injured and a private vessel took them in. Aircrews from the United States Coast Guard rushed to the scene, followed by a Coast Guard ship.

Li-ion batteries, the most common type of battery powering electric vehicles, are, in general, safe. However, if damaged, they tend to overheat and this can result in a fire outbreak. It isn’t yet clear what exactly triggered the fire onboard the Morning Midas on the deck loaded with EVs.

Now a few weeks after that fire, the ship has sunk. Zodiac Maritime said it had notified the relevant authorities about the sunken ship. The site of this loss is particularly challenging given that the water there is about 5,000 meters deep and is 360 nautical miles away from the closest land.

The loss of this ship after a fire said to be connected to the electric vehicles it was carrying has raised concerns within the maritime community and shippers, specifically. This is because EV fires tend to be harder to contain due to their intensity and the rapid pace at which they spread. To compound matters further, toxic fumes can be released from burning batteries, and this makes it dangerous for fire crews to get near the blaze.

Major electric vehicle makers like Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA) that ship their models around the world may need to come up with innovative ways to further reduce the likelihood of batteries catching on fire since fears about the likelihood of a fire outbreak can, to some extent, dampen the enthusiasm of buyers while also raising insurance costs for covering vessels carrying hundreds of these vehicles.

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