22 Crew Members Rescued As Cargo Ship Carrying 3,000 Cars From China To Mexico Catches Fire

22 crew members rescued as cargo ship carrying 3,000 cars from China to Mexico catches fire.

According to the operator, the ship was transporting 3,048 vehicles, including 70 fully electric cars and 681 hybrids.

A similar EV-related fire happened in 2022 when a ship carrying 4,000 luxury cars, including Porsches and Bentleys, caught fire.

22 crew members rescued as cargo ship carrying 3,000 cars from China to Mexico catches fire.

Cargo ship, Morning Midas, carrying over 3,000 vehicles from China to Mexico caught fire in the Pacific Ocean on June 3rd 2025, forcing all 22 crew members to abandon the burning vessel.

According to the operator, the crew members were safely evacuated via lifeboat after fire broke out from a deck loaded with EVs. The ship was reportedly transporting 3,048 vehicles, including 70 fully electric cars and 681 hybrids.

Managed by London-based Zodiac Maritime, the Liberia-flagged ship left China’s Yantai port in late May and was en route to the port of Lázaro Cárdenas, Mexico, with an expected arrival on June 15.

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“The relevant authorities have been notified, and we are working closely with emergency responders with a tug being deployed to support salvage and firefighting operations,” Zodiac Maritime said in a statement. “Our priorities are to ensure the continued safety of the crew and protect the marine environment.”

A similar EV-related fire happened in 2022 when a ship carrying 4,000 luxury cars, including Porsches and Bentleys, sank off the Portuguese Azores archipelago, nearly two weeks after it caught fire.

Japanese-based Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) Ltd., the operator of cargo ship, and Allianz SE, one of the insurers of the cargo aboard the ill-fated vessel, in a statement asserts that :

“Volkswagen’s failure to address known safety issues with its vehicles ultimately led to the catastrophic loss of the Felicity Ace and its cargo.”

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