A large cargo ship carrying cars from Germany to the United States sank in the middle of the Atlantic nearly two weeks after a fire broke out on board
LISBON, Portugal – A large cargo ship carrying cars from Germany to the United States sank in the middle of the Atlantic on Tuesday, 13 days after a fire broke out on board, the ship’s manager and the Portuguese fleet said.
The Felicity Ace sank about 400 kilometers (250 miles) from the Portuguese Azores while being towed, according to a statement from MOL Ship Management in Singapore. A rescue team put out the fire.
The 200-meter (650-foot) ship was on the starboard list before sinking, the ship’s manager said.
The Portuguese navy confirmed the sinking, saying it had taken place outside Portuguese waters. A helicopter of the Portuguese Air Force evacuated 22 crew members when the fire first broke out, drifting the ship.
Ocean tugs with firefighting equipment had hoseed the hull to cool it.
It was not clear how many cars were on board, but Felicity Ace-sized ships could carry at least 4,000 vehicles.
European carmakers declined to discuss how many vehicles and models were on board, but Porsche customers in the United States were contacted by their dealers, the company said.
“We are already working to replace any car affected by the accident, and the first new cars will be built soon,” Angus Fitton, vice president of public relations at Porsche Cars North America, Inc., told the Associated Press in an email.
The ship was carrying electric and non-electric vehicles, according to Portuguese authorities. The suspicion of what caused the fire on February 16 fell on lithium batteries used in electric vehicles, although authorities say they have no hard evidence of the cause.
Authorities fear the ship could pollute the ocean. The ship was carrying 2,000 metric tons (2,200 tons) of fuel and 2,000 metric tons (2,200 tons) of oil. It can carry more than 17,000 metric tons (18,700 tons) of cargo.
The Portuguese navy said in a statement that only a few debris and small oil slicks could be seen where the ship fell. Tractors break the patch with hoses, it says.
A Portuguese Air Force plane and a Portuguese Navy ship must remain at the scene to look for signs of contamination.