US-Bound Ship Carrying Hundreds of Porsches, Bentleys Catches Fire in the Atlantic Ocean
© Photo : Portugese Navy
Subscribe
The fate of the luxury vehicles aboard the merchant ship remains unknown, as per a statement by Porsche’s North American affiliate. The fire broke out on the cargo decks of the ship, prompting it to send a distress signal.
A US-bound cargo ship which was transporting nearly 1,100 Porches and at least 189 Bentleys from Germany has caught fire off the coast of autonomous Portuguese territory of Azores in the north-eastern Atlantic Ocean, according to the automotive website The Drive.
Nearly 4,000 luxury vehicles from the Volkswagen Group were reported to be onboard the Felicity Ace, a Panama flagged Roll-on, Roll-off (RoRo) carrier at the time the vessel caught fire.
Nearly 4,000 luxury vehicles from the Volkswagen Group were reported to be onboard the Felicity Ace, a Panama flagged Roll-on, Roll-off (RoRo) carrier at the time the vessel caught fire.
It is being operated by Japanese transport company Mitsui OSK Lines.
A RoRo vessel on fire in the north-eastern Atlantic Ocean.
© Photo : Portugese Navy
According to a merchant vessel tracking website, the 60,000 tonne, 200 metre-long vessel set sail from Emden, Germany, on 10 February.
The ship was scheduled to arrive at Davisville (Rhode Island) on 23 February.
However, a statement from the Portuguese Navy said that it received a distress call from the ship’s crew on 16 February.
The Portuguese Navy said that it deployed an oceanic patrol vessel, the NRP Setúbal, and an EH-101 medium-lift helicopter in the rescue operations.
However, a statement from the Portuguese Navy said that it received a distress call from the ship’s crew on 16 February.
The Portuguese Navy said that it deployed an oceanic patrol vessel, the NRP Setúbal, and an EH-101 medium-lift helicopter in the rescue operations.
Portugese Navy vessel NRP Setúbal monitoring the burning ship in the high seas
© Photo : Portugese Navy
All the 22 crew members aboard have been safely evacuated from the vessel, as per a statement.
The rescued crew didn’t require any medical assistance and were transported to a nearby air base, it said.
The patrolling vessel continued to monitor the abandoned ship for “traces of pollution”, as per a release on 17 February.
