A cargo ship sank in the Pacific Ocean weeks after its crew was evacuated when a deck carrying electric vehicles (EVs) caught fire.
On Tuesday, June 3, 2025, the U.S. Coast Guard reported that the 600-foot-long Morning Midas was on fire nearly 300 miles southwest of Alaska’s Adak Island. Marine Log says the vessel was carrying 3,000 cars, including around 800 EVs.
“Smoke was initially seen emanating from a deck carrying electric vehicles,” a spokesman from the company said in a statement to the Maritime Executive. There were no reported injuries among the 22 crew members who were able to climb on a lifeboat and taken to a nearby merchant vessel after unsuccessfully controlling the flames.
Gas-powered vehicles on ships can start because of unintentional gas leaks or flammable items left inside cars. However, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) warns that if the lithium-ion batteries inside electric vehicles “are damaged or defective, they can enter a state known as thermal runaway, which is when the battery cells begin uncontrollably heating up. This reaction can spread from battery cell to battery cell and lead to a fire. Lithium-ion batteries can also release toxic and flammable gases that under certain conditions could lead to an explosion.”
On June 23, the ship officially sank in the North Pacific Ocean. “There is no visible pollution,” said Petty Officer Cameron Snell, an Alaska-based U.S. Coast Guard spokesperson, in a statement to the Associated Press. “Right now we also have vessels on scene to respond to any pollution.”
The cause has not been determined. Check back with FireProtectionNews.com for more updates.
Image via U.S. Coast Guard.