A cargo ship carrying 3000 vehicles, including 750 EVs and Hybrids caught fire going from China to Mexico.
A cargo ship carrying more than 3,000 vehicles—including over 750 electric and hybrid models—caught fire in the Pacific Ocean on June 3, 2025, forcing all 22 crew members to abandon the vessel. Salvage operations were still ongoing as the fire continued to blaze a day after it started. This is one more disastrous ship-borne EV fire.
The 600-foot-long vessel, Morning Midas, is registered in the United Kingdom and operated by London-based Zodiac Maritime. It departed China in late May with port calls in Yantai, Guangzhou, and Shanghai, and was en route to the port of Lázaro Cárdenas in Mexico, where it was scheduled to arrive on June 15.
The fire broke out roughly 300 miles south of Adak Island, Alaska. Crew members detected smoke coming from a deck that was storing electric vehicles. Although they activated the ship’s CO₂ fire suppression system in response, the fire reignited once the suppression system was exhausted. Unable to bring the fire under control, the crew sent out a distress signal and evacuated using life rafts.
All 22 crew members were rescued unharmed by the nearby cargo vessel Cosco Hellas, which responded to the emergency call. The U.S. Coast Guard later commended Cosco Hellas as a “Good Samaritan vessel” for its timely intervention.
According to Zodiac Maritime, the Morning Midas was transporting 3,048 vehicles, including 70 fully electric cars and 681 hybrid models. In addition to the vehicles, the ship was also carrying approximately 350 metric tons of liquefied gas and 1,530 tons of very low sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO), raising concerns over potential environmental risks should the vessel be breached or sink.
The U.S. Coast Guard has deployed three rescue vessels, a C-130J aircraft, and an MH-60T helicopter to assist in coordinating the emergency response and monitoring the situation. A dedicated salvage tug has been dispatched to the site.
The Morning Midas, built in 2006 and capable of transporting up to 6,000 vehicles, is owned by Hawthorn Navigation Inc. No information has been released yet regarding the specific brands or models onboard. Investigations and containment efforts are currently in progress. Check out the original report on CarNewsChina.
