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A cargo ship carrying more than 3,000 vehicles, including hundreds of electric and hybrid models
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caught fire Tuesday in the Pacific Ocean. The Morning Midas, a 600-foot UK-flagged vessel operated by Zodiac Maritime
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was en route from China to Mexico when smoke was spotted on a deck loaded with electric vehicles
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about 300 miles south of Adak, Alaska. The ship was carrying 65 fully electric vehicles and 681 hybrids
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It also had more than 1,800 metric tons of fuel on board
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All 22 crew members evacuated safely and were rescued by the nearby merchant ship
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Three commercial vessels and a Coast Guard cutter responded to the distress call
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Aircraft from air station Kodiak were also dispatched. The Coast Guard says the fire is still burning and they letting it burn out due to the risk of explosions from lithium ion batteries on board Those batteries are dangerous at sea They can burn at extreme temperatures release toxic gas and reignite after being extinguished Salt water only increases the
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risk by corroding battery casings. The exact cause of the fire hasn't been determined, but this isn't
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the first time a cargo ship full of electric vehicles has gone up in flames. In 2022, the
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Felicity Ace burned for nearly two weeks before sinking in the Atlantic with nearly 4,000 luxury
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cars on board, resulting in losses of more than $400 million. The morning Midas left China in May
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with stops in Shanghai and Nansha, two key ports for Chinese EV exports. It was bound for Mexico
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The International Energy Agency says over 60 percent of EVs sold in Mexico in recent years
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have come from China. The Coast Guard is working with Zodiac Maritime on recovery efforts
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An investigation is also underway. For more of our unbiased straight fact reporting
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