A large plume of smoke was initially seen at the ship’s stern coming from the deck loaded with electric vehicles Tuesday, according to US Coast Guard photos and a Wednesday statement from the ship’s management company, London-based Zodiac Maritime.
There were no reported injuries among the 22 crew members of the Morning Midas.
The crew initiated emergency firefighting procedures with the ship’s onboard fire suppression system, but were unable bring the flames under control.
“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.”
The US Coast Guard said it sent aircrews to Adak and a ship to the area. The status of the fire onboard the ship was unknown as of Wednesday afternoon, but smoke was still emanating from it, according to the Coast Guard.
Rear Admiral Megan Dean, commander of the Coast Guard’s Seventeenth District, said in a statement that the search and rescue part of the response has been concluded, and they were working with Zodiac Maritime to determine how to recover the ship and what will be done with it.
The cars, from Yantai in China, were being shipped to Lazaro Cardenas, a major Pacific port in Mexico.
