On Tuesday, the Morning Midas—a roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) vehicle carrier—was abandoned by its crew in the central Pacific Ocean following an onboard fire, according to a Bloomberg report. 

The vessel was transporting approximately 3,000 vehicles, including an estimated 800 electric vehicles (EVs). The fire’s origin has not been confirmed, though lithium-ion battery ignition remains a possible cause given the cargo profile and previous mid-sea incidents involving EVs (see here & here). 

Morning Midas had departed China in late May with a scheduled port call in Mexico, according to Bloomberg data. 

The US Coast Guard evacuated all 22 crew members from the RoRo carrier to a nearby merchant vessel earlier today. Coast Guard sea-based assets are en route to the incident area.

The ship’s manager, Zodiac Maritime, confirmed that smoke was billowing from the deck. A company spokesperson said salvage support teams are en route.

Insurance giant Allianz has long emphasized the need to strengthen safety protocols for all maritime shipments involving lithium-ion batteries given the proliferation of green tech around the world.