On Tuesday, a ship named Morning Midas, transporting approximately 3,000 vehicles including around 800 electric ones, experienced a fire while in the Pacific Ocean. Reports indicate that the incident began with smoke appearing from one of the decks, prompting the crew to attempt firefighting procedures. However, despite their efforts, they were unable to control the blaze, leading to the evacuation of the crew by the U.S. Coast Guard.

The U.S. Coast Guard responded quickly by evacuating all 22 crew members and transferring them to a nearby merchant ship. They had initially indicated plans to send aerial crews and vessels to assist where the crew was engaged in firefighting. The Morning Midas had departed from the Chinese port of Yantai on May 26 and had previously stopped at two other ports in China, Nansha and Shanghai, before heading on its journey to Mexico.

This incident raises concerns about maritime safety and the risks associated with transporting large quantities of vehicles, particularly electric ones that may pose additional fire hazards. The conditions of the ship and the cargo will be under scrutiny as investigations begin, and implications for shipping routes from China to North America may arise following this fire incident.