A burning ship full of cars sank in international waters
The car carrier Morning Midas, carrying about 3,000 cars, caught fire on 3 June in the Pacific Ocean. The crew tried to extinguish it with their own resources, but unable to control the spread of the fire, they abandoned the vessel with the help of the U.S. Coast Guard and the Cosco Hellas. The drifting Morning Midas sank in international waters, about 450 miles (724 km) southwest of Adak Island, Alaska, on Monday, 23 June.
Here's What We Know
The U.S. Coast Guard said the Morning Midas capsized at about 5:35 p.m. and then sank at a depth of about 16,400 feet (4,999 metres). The ship was carrying 3,048 vehicles, including 681 hybrids and 70 electric cars. The latter was rumoured to be a possible source of the fire, although this has not been officially confirmed.
Morning Midas. Photo: United States Coast Guard
There were 350 metric tonnes of marine gas oil and 1,530 metric tonnes of fuel oil on board when the ship sank. The Coast Guard has not observed any visible water contamination, but continues to monitor the situation. Two salvage vessels also remain on the scene with equipment on board to respond to the pollution if necessary.
The 180 metre vessel Morning Midas was built in 2006 and was flying the Liberian flag. The car carrier left the Chinese port of Yantai on 26 May bound for Mexico.
Source: CBS News
