A massive fire broke out aboard a cargo ship transporting 3,000 vehicles to Mexico, including 800 electric vehicles, forcing its 22-member vrew to abandon the vessel in the icy waters off Alaska’s Aleutian island chain after they failed to control the blaze.
The incident took place on Tuesday as the Morning Midas, a 600-foot Liberian-flagged car and truck carrier, became engulfed in smoke southwest of Adak Island. The fire, which reportedly originated on the deck loaded with electric vehicles, including cars with lithium-ion batteries rapidly intensified, rendering onboard firefighting efforts ineffective, CNN reported.
According to US Coast Guard photos and a statement issued by the ship’s management company, London-based Zodiac Maritime, a large plume of smoke was seen on Tuesday at the ship’s stern emanating from the deck loaded with electric vehicles.
⚡️Cargo ship carrying 3,000 vehicles catches fire in the Pacific Ocean
The Morning Midas, en route from China to Mexico, caught fire in the Pacific overnight on June 3. On board were around 3,000 vehicles, including electric cars with lithium-ion batteries — making firefighting… pic.twitter.com/RQ4FTDP7hp
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) June 5, 2025
“The relevant authorities have been notified, and we are working closely with emergency responders with a tug being deployed to support salvage and firefighting operations,” Zodiac Maritime said in a statement. “Our priorities are to ensure the continued safety of the crew and protect the marine environment.”
As fire spread through the vessel, the crew members initiated emergency protocols, but had to ultimately abandon the ship after they were unable to control the flames. All 22 of them were evacuated onto a lifeboat and rescued by the crew of a nearby merchant vessel called the Cosco Hellas.
The rescue operation took place in the North Pacific, roughly 300 miles (490 kilometers) southwest of Adak Island, which lies about 1,200 miles (1,930 kilometers) west of Anchorage. No injuries were reported among the crew members of the ship.
The US Coast Guard stated that it dispatched aircrews to Adak and a ship to the scene. Meanwhile, the status of the fire remains unknown as of Wednesday afternoon, but smoke was still emanating from the vessel, CNN reported, citing the US Coast Guard.
Rear Admiral Megan Dean, commander of the Coast Guard’s Seventeenth District, said in a statement the Coast Guard was working with Zodiac Maritime to determine how to recover the ship and the further steps that would be taken. The search and rescue part of the response has concluded.
“We are grateful for the selfless actions of the three nearby vessels who assisted in the response and the crew of motor vessel Cosco Hellas, who helped save 22 lives,” Dean said.
The Morning Midas was built in 2006 and sails under a Liberian flag. It left Yantai, China, on May 26, according to the industry site marinetraffic.com. The cars were being shipped to Lazaro Cardenas, which is a major Pacific port in Mexico, CNN reported.
