Car Carrier MV Morning Midas sinks following sustained fire
MV Morning Midas Copyright US Coast Guard
Liberia-flagged car carrier Morning Midas sank in international waters in the North Pacific, following the fire that broke out on board on 3 June 2025.
“Damage caused by the fire, compounded by heavy weather and subsequent water ingress, caused the Morning Midas to sink at around 16.35 local time zone (UTC -9) on 23 June, in waters approximately 5,000 metres deep and 360 nautical miles from land,” ship manager Zodiac Maritime said in an update.
“As a precaution, two salvage tugs containing pollution control equipment remain on site to monitor for any signs of pollution or debris. Their crews are safe. A specialised pollution response vessel is also en-route to the location as an additional precaution. ”
Zodiac Maritime said that all operations continue to prioritise the safety of personnel and the protection of the marine environment. The vessel sank while awaiting the arrival of a specialist tug with long-distance towing capability, set to arrive this week. Just last week, the company announced that a second tug arrived at the scene and that thermal scans and visual checks conducted showed no active fire onboard.
The 4,902 CEU car carrier was sailing about 300 miles southwest of Adak, Alaska, when the fire broke out causing the entire crew of the vessel to abandon ship in life rafts. The 22 crew members were picked up by the nearby Cosco Hellas, one of the three good Samaritan vessels that responded to the emergency. The cause of the fire remains unconfirmed, but smoke was first reported near a deck carrying electric vehicles, according to Zodiac Maritime. The ship is carrying about 3,000 vehicles, including 800 EVs, and holds around 350 mt of gas fuel and 1,530 mt of VLSFO.
This is just one is a series of car carriers that have had fires of which a proportion have resulted in a total loss.
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