Posted:
Updated:
(NEXSTAR) – A massive cargo ship loaded with cars was burning and adrift in the Atlantic Ocean Thursday.
All 22 crew members on board have been safely evacuated and ships passing through the area have been warned of the burning vessel, according to the Portuguese navy.
The ship, called Felicity Ace, is 650 feet long. Its nearest land mass are the Azores Islands, a remote archipelago in the mid-Atlantic.
The Felicity Ace can carry more than 17,000 metric tons of cargo. This ship was carrying Porsche cars and other Volkswagen Auto Group vehicles, according to FleetMon, a site that tracks shipping logistics and vessel news.
“A number of our cars are among the cargo. We are in contact with the shipping company and the details of the cars on board are now known. Customers affected by the incident are being contacted by their dealer,” Porsche said in a statement to Fox News.
Typically, car transport ships carry thousands of vehicles on multiple decks in their hold.
The vehicle transporter was on a transatlantic voyage from Germany to the United States. The ship left Germany on Feb. 10 and was due to arrive in Rhode Island on Feb. 23, according to marine traffic logs.
The Portuguese navy said the fire was still burning Thursday. Images shown on YouTube showed white smoke billowing from the ship.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
