All 22 crew members evacuated unscathed from the Morning Midas, which was transporting electric and hybrid vehicles from China to Mexico

A cargo vessel carrying more than 3,000 electric and hybrid vehicles from China to Mexico has caught fire in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Alaska. All 22 crew members evacuated unharmed aboard a lifeboat and were rescued by a nearby merchant vessel.

According to a statement by the Alaska Coast Guard on Wednesday, the Morning Midas - a Liberian-flagged and UK-managed ship - sent a distress call on Tuesday afternoon while passing approximately 300 miles (490km) southwest of Adak Island.

The US authorities have estimated that 70 fully electric and 681 hybrid vehicles were on board the Morning Midas at the time. The Coast Guard requested assistance from three nearby merchant vessels and dispatched several of its own ships and aircraft to the site of the incident.

Apart from its cargo, the ship is estimated to have approximately 1,900 metric tons of fuel onboard.

The Alaska Coast Guard's spokeswoman, Petty Officer First Class Shannon Kearney, was quoted by the New York Times as saying that officials had decided to allow the fire to burn out and not attempt to extinguish it due to the risks posed by the lithium-ion batteries in the vehicles on board. This type of battery can cause an explosion when heated and also produces toxic gases if it catches fire. The Coast Guard representative noted, however, that it was too early to conclude that it was the electric and hybrid vehicles that ignited first.

Zodiac Maritime, the company managing the cargo ship, said in a statement cited by the media that the blaze started at around 00:00 UTC on June 3. The crew initially attempted to put out the flames on their own but were unsuccessful.

(RT.com)