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Cargo Ship Carrying Porsches Are Burning In The Atlantic Ocean
An abandoned cargo ship filled with Volkswagens and Porsches is presently adrift in the Atlantic Ocean. A fire broke out earlier which prompted the crew to abandon ship.
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Cargo Ship Full of Luxury Cars Caught Fire During Atlantic Journey
The 656 foot long Felicity Ace cargo ship caught fire during its trip across the North Atlantic last Wednesday. The cargo ship traveled from Emden, Germany, and carried a batch of Porsches and Volkswagens.
The cars are heading to Davisville, Rhode Island. At the time of the fire, the cargo ship was sailing 90 nautical miles southwest of Portugal’s Azores.
The 656 foot-long roll-on/roll-off Felicity Ace can carry over 17,000 metric tons of cargo. This means it can carry thousands of cars on board during a single journey.
The Portuguese Navy reported that as of Thursday, the fire continues to burn. In addition, the Navy said that an ocean patrol vessel remains on-site to monitor the abandoned ship.
Crew Abandoned Ship Due to Fire
The Felicity Ace caught fire in the North Atlantic on Wednesday as it carried cargo, including Porsches and Volkswagens, from Emden, Germany to Davisville, Rhode Island.
At the time of the fire's outbreak, the ship was sailing 90 nautical miles southwest of Portugal's Azores, according to a statement on Wednesday by the Portuguese Navy.
Once the fire broke out, the 22-man crew abandoned the vessel. The Portuguese Navy managed to rescue the crew and took them to a local hotel. Meanwhile, the cargo ship was left drifting as it continued to burn.
According to the Ponta Delgada Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center, there are no signs of pollution from the cargo or the fire.
The Panama-registered ship lists Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) as the operator. MOL arranged to have the ship towed as it continued to burn.
Porsche, Volkswagen Confirms Their Cars Among Cargo
Meanwhile, Porsche confirmed that a number of their cars were among the cargo of the burning cargo ship. Local dealers are now contacting customers whose orders are affected.
Angus Fitton, VP of PR at Porsche Cars North America, says they have yet to finalize plans. He said that along with mother company Porsche AG, they are working with the shipping company to get more details.
The company also confirmed that they are in touch with their dealers and customers regarding their orders.
Volkswagen also has customers waiting for their cars on the burning cargo ship. “We are aware of an incident involving a third-party cargo ship transporting Volkswagen Group vehicles across the Atlantic.
The vessel was on its way to North America,” said Dirk Ameer, a Volkswagen spokesperson. “At this time, we are not aware of any injuries. We are in contact with the shipping company to get more information about the incident.”
Watch the World News video reporting that a cargo ship carrying 4,000 Porsches and Volkswagens catches fire in the middle of Atlantic:
Loading ...What do you think is the most worrisome part of a cargo ship of luxury vehicles catching fire while at sea? Is it the potential pollution, the loss of income, or the loss of car orders?
Tell us what you think about sea disasters involving luxury consumer items. Share your thoughts below.
1 Comment
Seriously, is this a joke?…
From the burning cars and ship article: “According to the Ponta Delgada Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center, there are no signs of pollution from the cargo or the fire.”