The cause of the fire has not yet been revealed
A cargo ship carrying more than a thousand Porsches was abandoned after it caught fire in the middle of its oceanic journey.
BREAKING: A giant cargo ship "Felicity Ace" is on fire in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
It's carrying a cargo of Porsche and VW automobiles.
The crew safely abandoned ship in lifeboats. Under maritime law the ship is now "finders keepers." pic.twitter.com/gHLqHncrOi
— Retro Coast (@RetroCoast) February 17, 2022
On February 16, cargo vessel Felicity Ace issued a distress signal in the middle of the Atlantic ocean. The ship had caught fire on its routine trip from Emden, Germany to Davisville, Rhode Island, reports the Guardian.
Welp, some folks aren’t getting their long awaited Porsches and whatever else was on this boat. pic.twitter.com/NZfry5RuyU
— Zerin Dube (@SpeedSportLife) February 16, 2022
The 200-metre long ship housing nearly 4,000 vehicles were left abandoned as the Portuguese Navy rescued the ship’s 22 staff. The exact origin of the fire has not yet been revealed by authorities.
A spokesperson for Porsche said: “We are aware of an incident aboard the Felicity Ace, a specialized cargo ship carrying certain Porsche vehicles. Your dealership will provide you with additional information on how this impacts you as soon as we have additional information and know the full scope of the issue.”
I just got the call from my dealer. My car is now adrift, possibly on fire, in the middle of the ocean. https://t.co/Ge2DYk8IJ0
— Matt "Stick to Cars" Farah (@TheSmokingTire) February 16, 2022
Similarly, a representative from Volkswagen said there were “aware of an incident” involving “a cargo ship transporting Volkswagen Group vehicles across the Atlantic.” Speaking to Insider, they added: “At this time, we are not aware of any injuries. We are working with local authorities and the shipping company to investigate the cause of the incident.”
YouTuber Matt Farah’s car was actually on the ship at the time. He explained on Twitter that he had received a “call from [his] dealer” and added that his car is now “adrift, possibly on fire, in the middle of the ocean.”
For everyone who is asking the dealer has promised to keep me posted with any updates on how Porsche decides to sort this out. Odds are a new build and hopefully not another 8 months wait for it. https://t.co/izxnLvgvmg
— Matt "Stick to Cars" Farah (@TheSmokingTire) February 17, 2022
Updating his followers on the incident, Farrah wrote: “For everyone who is asking the dealer has promised to keep me posted with any updates on how Porsche decides to sort this out. Odds are a new build and hopefully not another 8 months wait for it.”
According to the Associated Press, all 22 crew members were taken to hotels while the Portuguese Navy and four merchant vessels are currently assisting in the operation alongside the Portuguese air force.
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