A ship carrying 3,000 cars caught fire in the Pacific Ocean

A fire broke out on the Morning Midas, a large cargo ship in the central Pacific Ocean. The ship was carrying about 3,000 cars, including more than 800 electric cars. Bloomberg reported.

The ship was reportedly 300 miles (480 km) south of Adak Island, Alaska. It had set sail from China's Shandong province on May 26 and was scheduled to arrive in Mexico's Lazaro Cardenas port on June 15.

22 crew members evacuated

The statement said the fire began to spread through one of the ship's decks. Crew members tried to put out the fire, but due to the large scale of the fire, they were quickly evacuated from the ship.

The identity of the cargo owners is unknown

The identities of the cargo owners have not been disclosed. The exact cause of the fire is currently under investigation. The Morning Midas was built in 2006 by Xiamen Shipbuilding Industry Co. in China. The 46.8-ton vessel is currently sailing under the flag of Liberia.

Lithium-ion batteries are a new threat

According to an analysis by Allianz, lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles are becoming a major threat to car-carrying ships. These types of fires are very difficult to extinguish because the batteries generate a lot of heat and the ship's ventilation system is not active enough.

The publication notes that the ship is built of steel, which makes fire control even more difficult, and this poses a serious danger to crew members.

The fire incident in the Pacific Ocean has raised new questions about the safety of electric vehicles in cargo transportation. With the increasing number of electric vehicles, the need to minimize risks in freight transportation and implement new safety protocols has once again become apparent.

Photo: AP Photo