Posted on 02/18/2022 7:36:57 AM PST by Red Badger
A burning car transport ship drifted in the mid-Atlantic on Thursday after the huge vessel's 22 crew members were evacuated due to the blaze, the Portuguese navy said.
Shipping in the area was warned that the 650-foot-long Felicity Ace was adrift near Portugal's Azores Islands after the crew were taken off on Wednesday, Portuguese navy spokesman Commander José Sousa Luís said.
The Felicity Ace can carry more than 18,700 tons of cargo. Typically, car transport ships fit thousands of vehicles on multiple decks in their hold.
Volkswagen Group said in a brief statement the Felicity Ace was transporting to the U.S. vehicles that the German automaker produced. The company declined to comment on what consequences the incident might have for U.S. customers or the VW Group.
A photo of the ship released by the Portuguese navy. PORTUGUESE NAVY The ship's operator, Japan's Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, said in an email to the AP it could not provide information about the cargo.
A Portuguese navy ship sailed to the vehicle transporter, which was sailing from Emden in Germany to the port of Davisville in Rhode Island, according to online vessel trackers. A navy statement said the fire was still burning and showed a photograph of large clouds of white smoke billowing out.
The navy ship was to check whether the cargo vessel was in danger of sinking or causing pollution, Sousa Luís told The Associated Press.
The ship's owner is seeking an ocean-going tug, but the Felicity Ace is unlikely to be towed to a port in Portugal's Azores Islands because of its size, Sousa Luís said.
The crew were taken by helicopter on Wednesday to Faial Island on the archipelago, about 100 miles away, and are staying at a hotel there. None of them were hurt.
that’s a lot of cars!
I wonder how many are stolen
They are new vehicles..................
Lithium battery was not stowed properly?
I remember a ship full of Hondas went down in the Pacific a few years back in a storm.............
And they can legally be yours if you can get to them.
Many of these vehicles were on order by individual purchasers. News is gradually becoming known because dealers are contacting customers.
Many of these were very high end vehicles.
I was thinking the same thing. Nobody is saying anything about the cargo, what kind how many, etc.
If it was a shipment of all electric vehicles, it would be a public relations disaster for future electric sales!...............
Salt spray and the transport of EVs is not a good combination.
I’m wondering how many electrics were on board...................
There’s a simile in there somewhere.
Sink it ......
Batteries should be shipped separately.............
So, can we expect big discounts on the stickers of these? You’d think this would be a pirate’s hay day with all these cars floating around aimlessly. Lazy punks! LOL
If it’s a ship full of electric vehicles, it will still burn and pollute the ocean. It will eventually burn a hole in the ship..
If it’s a cargo full of electric cars, that will sink all future sales!......................
Whenever there is a big flood up north there is usually a flood of used cars for sale down south in six months..............
You chose Door #3!!!
It’s your very own Porsche.
You’re very own burned Porsche zonk mobile.
Surprised that there aren’t a few salvagers trying to get a tow line on that ship.
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