Morning Midas, the PCTC carrying 3,000 Chinese cars, is still burning, according to the latest news, and the fire has spread to the entire vessel. According to the latest photos taken, the shell of the vessel is almost completely burned.
On 9 June, the first tugboat, the Gretchen Dunlap, with a rescue team and specialized equipment, arrived at the site of the accident and began a full assessment of the condition of the vessel. Two more rescue vessels are expected to arrive in the next two weeks. Zodiac Maritime, which manages the vessel, has appointed Resolve Marine to undertake the salvage operation.
According to photos taken by the U.S. Coast Guard on June 8, the fire on Morning Midas appears to have started at the stern, and after a week of burning, it has now spread throughout the vessel. Despite the ongoing fire, the vessel remains stable. Earlier, it was reported that the vessel was showing signs of tilting at the stern.
As previously reported, Morning Midas was carrying about 350 tons of gasoline fuel and 1,530 tons of ultra-low sulphur fuel oil at the time of the incident, and video showed that a dark oil slick had appeared on the surface of the sea near the vessel, which was suspected to be an oil spill. Based on the latest aerial inspection by the U.S. Coast Guard, no signs of contamination have been detected. The vessel’s last reported position was approximately 218 miles south of Amatignak Island, roughly 11 miles inside the United States exclusive economic zone.
The rescue team is currently closely monitoring weather conditions, with recent reports showing winds of 45-50 knots and waves of 6 feet. Morning Midas is drifting northeast at approximately 1.8 knots.
The U.S. Coast Guard is continuing to work closely with Zodiac Maritime and Resolve Marine to ensure that a safe and effective salvage and safety program is in place to respond to the fire and mitigate potential environmental impacts.
The major maritime fire incident is understood to have begun on June 3, when smoke was first detected in the deck area of Morning Midas, approximately 300 miles south of Adak, Alaska. The fire suppression system onboard failed to bring the fire under control, and 22 crew members were safely evacuated after failing to extinguish the blaze.
On the day of the incident, the owner announced the abandonment of the vessel. Since June 3, Morning Midas has been burning and floating.
Public information shows that “Morning Midas” was built in 2006 by Xiamen Shipbuilding Industry Co., Ltd., with a length of about 183 meters and is classified by the Classification Society DNV. It is a Liberian-flagged PCTC that can carry 4,902 cars. The vessel set sail from Yantai, China on May 26 and was originally scheduled to arrive in Mexico on June 15.
By the time of the incident, the vessel was carrying 3,048 vehicles, including 70 pure electric vehicles and 681 hybrid electric vehicles. The vessel is jointly owned by Zodiac Maritime and Hawthorn Navigation, managed by Zodiac Maritime and chartered by China’s SAIC Anji Logistics.
Anji Logistics has previously responded to the fire: Anji Logistics is responsible for cargo stowage planning, while the shipowner is responsible for crewing and operational management. We are currently waiting for news from the shipowner, and the business team is also synchronizing to verify the relevant information.
Relevant staff also disclosed that Anji Logistics has never had a similar incident of fire on a car carrier before. Based on the principle of confidentiality of customer information, it is not convenient to announce the number of transported vehicles, models and the information of the enterprises they belong to for the time being.
Although the charterer did not disclose more details, Bloomberg, citing sources familiar with the matter, reported that Morning Midas was carrying cars from several Chinese automakers, including Chery and Great Wall Motor. It is not yet clear which brand of car caught fire.
Another source said: There were about 140 vehicles of Great Wall Motor (GWM) onboard, but none of them were electric vehicles, and these vehicles were not in the deck area where the fire broke out. Chery Automobile has not yet responded.