A recent incident involving a car carrier named Morning Midas has made headlines after it caught fire in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The vessel was transporting around 3,000 vehicles from various Chinese automakers, including Chery and Great Wall Motor, to Mexico at the time of the incident. According to reports from Bloomberg, the cargo ship was carrying a mix of vehicles, but none of the Great Wall Motor vehicles on board were electric vehicles (EVs).
The exact cause of the fire and which brand’s EV was involved remains unclear. However, it has been confirmed that the Morning Midas had departed from Yantai, Shandong province in eastern China, where a SAIC-GM factory produces the Buick Envision model. The charterer of the cargo ship is Anji Logistics, a subsidiary of SAIC Motor, according to local media reports.
The Morning Midas is a 46,800-ton car carrier built by China’s Xiamen Shipbuilding Industry in 2006. The vessel caught fire off the coast of Alaska, prompting the evacuation of the 22 crew members onboard. Despite efforts to extinguish the fire, the crew was forced to abandon ship as the situation escalated. The management company of the vessel, Zodiac Maritime, confirmed that the fire initially broke out on the deck loaded with EVs.
As investigations into the incident continue, the shipping industry is closely monitoring the aftermath of the fire on the Morning Midas. The safety of crew members, the potential environmental impact, and the financial implications for the involved parties are all key considerations in the wake of this unfortunate event. Stay tuned for further updates on this developing story.
