Burning Car Carrier Morning Midas Drifts Off Alaska, Salvage Team Begins Response

The Liberian-flagged cargo ship Morning Midas, carrying over 3,000 vehicles, including dozens of electric and hybrid models, remains on fire and adrift in the North Pacific Ocean, about 220 miles south of Adak, Alaska.

The Pure Car and Truck Carrier (PCTC) was first reported to the U.S. Coast Guard on June 3, at around 3:15 p.m. According to reports, smoke was initially detected on a deck transporting electric vehicles while the ship was on its journey from Yantai, China, to Lázaro Cárdenas, Mexico.

Despite emergency efforts by the crew and activation of the ship’s fire suppression system, the fire intensified. All 22 crew members had to abandon the vessel for safety. They escaped in lifeboats and were rescued without injuries by the merchant ship Cosco Hellas.

As of the latest updates, the Morning Midas is still burning. Aerial inspections carried out on Sunday by a Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak HC-130J Super Hercules aircraft confirmed the vessel remains on fire but stable, with no visible pollution in surrounding waters.

Damaged Car Carrier — Image Credits: USCG

The ship is carrying 3,159 vehicles, including 65 fully electric and 681 partially hybrid electric vehicles. It also has 1,530 metric tons of very low sulfur fuel oil and around 350 metric tons of gas fuel onboard.

The vessel’s current position is approximately 218 miles south of Amatignak Island and about 11 miles inside the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone. As of 7 a.m. on June 9, it was drifting northeast at a speed of around 1.8 miles per hour.

The tugboat Gretchen Dunlap arrived at the scene on the afternoon of June 9, with a salvage crew from Resolve Marine, the firm appointed by the ship’s manager, Zodiac Maritime. The team has started assessing the situation onboard.

Two more vessels have been dispatched to join the operation and are expected to reach the location on separate dates within the next two weeks.

The U.S. Coast Guard continues to support the salvage effort by providing expertise to ensure that Resolve Marine’s plans for recovery and safety are effective and secure. Rear Admiral Megan Dean, commander of the Coast Guard’s Seventeenth District, said the top concern is the safety of the public, responders, and vessel crews.

Weather conditions remain a challenge. On Sunday, the site experienced 10–15 knot winds and seas of 3 to 5 feet. By Monday afternoon, the weather had worsened, with winds reaching 45–50 knots and waves as high as six feet. The Coast Guard is monitoring these conditions closely to help guide response efforts.

Tracking of the vessel’s position and condition is ongoing through regular overflights, updates from responders at the scene, and drift analysis conducted in collaboration with NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration.

The Morning Midas left China on May 26 and was originally expected to reach Mexico by June 15. The ship was built in 2006 and is flagged under Liberia.

Reference: USCG

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