The cargo ship Morning Midas, carrying about 3000 cars, including 800 electric vehicles, sank on June 23, 2025, in the Pacific Ocean due to a fire and storm conditions.
According to Zodiac Maritime and Marine Traffic, the fire started on June 3, 555 km from Adak Island (Aleutian Islands), when the ship was en route from Yantai (China) to the port of Lázaro Cárdenas (Mexico).
The US Coast Guard evacuated all 22 crew members, and no one was injured. Attempts to extinguish the fire with the help of onboard systems were unsuccessful, and the rescue tugs that arrived on June 9 could not prevent the sinking due to hull damage and a severe storm. The ship sank to a depth of about 5000 meters, 360 nautical miles from the coast.
Zodiac Maritime and the Coast Guard continue to monitor the area to prevent environmental damage, as there were 350 tons of diesel fuel and 1530 tons of fuel oil on board.
The exact cause of the fire is unknown, but it is assumed that it started on the deck with electric vehicles due to the ignition of lithium-ion batteries.