The car carrier Morning Midas, which caught fire on June 3, has capsized and sunk in international waters, approximately 450 miles southwest of Adak, Alaska.
The U.S. Coast Guard said it was notified that the 600'x103'5" Morning Midas capsized Monday at 5:35 p.m. and sank to a depth of approximately 16,400' in the Northern Pacific Ocean.
The Liberian-registered vessel was transiting from Yantai, China, to Lázaro Cárdenas, Mexico, when it caught fire on June 3. The blaze quickly grew out of control, forcing all 22 crewmembers to abandon ship. No injuries were reported.
The ship was carrying 3,048 total vehicles, including 70 fully electric and 681 hybrid vehicles. The vessel also reportedly had 350 metric tons of marine gasoil and 1,530 metric tons of very-low-sulfur fuel oil on board.
There are no reports of visible pollution, the Coast Guard said, noting that it is monitoring the situation and remains in close contact with Zodiac Maritime, the U.K.-based manager of the sunken ro-ro ship.
Two salvage vessels with pollution response equipment — Foss Maritime Company's 155'48' Garth Foss and Asian Marine Company's 223'1"x49'3" Salvage Worker — remain on scene to assess the area and respond to signs of pollution.
Another vessel, the Cook Inlet Spill Prevention & Response Inc. oil spill response vessel Endeavour, is en route from Dutch Harbor, Alaska, and is expected to arrive on scene Thursday. The 179'6"x40' Endeavour is equipped with additional pollution response equipment, including an oil spill containment and recovery system.
“The safety of the responders remains our top priority,” said Capt. Christopher Culpepper, the commander of Coast Guard Sector Western Alaska and U.S. Arctic. “We're working closely with Zodiac Maritime in an advisory capacity to ensure a swift and effective response to any potential signs of pollution.”
There were no reported injuries during the response.
