A cargo ship carrying new vehicles to Mexico sank in the North Pacific Ocean on Monday following an unresolved onboard fire earlier in June.
AP News reported that the Morning Midas, a 600-foot vessel under Liberian registry, went down in waters off Alaska’s Aleutian Islands chain after sustaining fire damage and taking on water during severe weather.
The fire broke out on 3 June and forced all 22 crew members to evacuate.
No injuries were reported.
The ship was around 300 miles southwest of Adak Island when the fire was reported.
Petty Officer Cameron Snell, spokesperson for the U.S. Coast Guard in Alaska, said: “There is no visible pollution.
“Right now we also have vessels on scene to respond to any pollution.”
Zodiac Maritime, the ship’s London-based management company, confirmed the Morning Midas was transporting approximately 3,000 new vehicles when it sank.
Among these were around 70 electric vehicles and nearly 680 hybrids.
At the time of the incident, the ship had departed from Yantai, China, on 26 May, with a Pacific port in Mexico as its destination, according to information from MarineTraffic.
It remains unclear whether any of the vehicles were removed prior to the ship’s sinking.
Zodiac Maritime has not responded to inquiries regarding the cargo’s fate.
Initial reports from the Coast Guard and the company indicated that smoke was seen coming from the stern, particularly from the area where electric vehicles were located.
Zodiac Maritime stated that two salvage tugs equipped with pollution control systems are currently at the scene.
The crews of these vessels were not injured during the Morning Midas’s sinking.
The company is also deploying an additional pollution response ship as a precaution.
The U.S. Coast Guard confirmed the ship sank approximately 415 miles from land in international waters, at a depth of around 16,404 feet.
Environmental monitoring is ongoing, and authorities are continuing to assess the situation.
The loss of the Morning Midas follows a pattern of fire incidents on ships carrying vehicles, including electric models.
AP News cited a 2023 case in which a vessel carrying around 3,000 cars, including nearly 500 electric vehicles, caught fire en route from Germany to Singapore.
That fire lasted for a week and resulted in one death before the ship was towed to a port in the Netherlands.
In response to that incident, the Dutch Safety Board called for improvements in emergency preparedness on shipping routes.
The causes of such fires often remain under investigation, with lithium-ion batteries frequently identified as potential ignition sources.
After the fire was first reported on 3 June, the crew abandoned the Morning Midas using a lifeboat.
All 22 individuals were picked up by a nearby merchant ship without injury.
Zodiac Maritime noted the crew evacuation was carried out according to established emergency procedures.
The ship’s last known location was about 490 kilometers from Adak Island and more than 1,900 kilometers west of Anchorage.
No further injuries or rescue complications were reported by authorities.
The Morning Midas sank in international waters on 24 June 2025.
The sinking followed a fire that broke out on 3 June 2025.
The U.S. Coast Guard reported the fire occurred southwest of Adak Island, Alaska.
Zodiac Maritime said the ship had been carrying around 3,000 vehicles.
Among these were roughly 70 electric and 680 hybrid cars.
No crew members were injured during the incident or evacuation.
The ship sank approximately 415 miles from land in waters 16,404 feet deep.
Salvage vessels with pollution control systems are on site.
Zodiac Maritime is sending an additional pollution response vessel.
The Coast Guard has reported no visible pollution.
The Morning Midas was built in 2006 and operated under a Liberian flag.
Its last voyage began on 26 May 2025 from Yantai, China, bound for Mexico.
The fire reportedly started in the section containing electric vehicles.
A previous fire on a vehicle carrier in 2023 prompted calls for improved safety measures.
The Dutch Safety Board has called for better emergency response planning on maritime routes.
