The crew of a cargo ship carrying luxury vehicles has had to be rescued after a fire engulfed the vessel on the Atlantic Ocean.
The 200-metre-long Felicity Ace cargo ship caught alight while travelling in the North Atlantic, near Portugal’s Azores on Wednesday.
It is reported to be carrying a number of luxury vehicles, including Porsches and Volkswagens, from Emden in Germany to Davisville, Rhode Island.
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Associated Press has reported that the vessel had the capacity for 17,000 metric tons of cargo, which translates to roughly to the space needed for a thousand vehicles.
Speaking to CNN Business last week, Porsche confirmed a number of its vehicles were on board the burning vessel and said that the customers were now being contacted by their dealers.
ALIGHT: Crew rescued from burning cargo ship carrying up to 1000 luxury vehicles. Picture: Portuguese Navy (supplied)
Volkswagen spokesperson Dirk Ameer has also confirmed that the company had vehicles onboard.
“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,” Mr Ameer said in a statement.
“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.”
A video released by the Portuguese Air Force shows the daring rescue of the Felicity Ace’s 22-member crew.
A statement from the Portuguese Navy said that the crew had been safely taken to a hotel in Portugal after the rescue was coordinated by the Ponta Delgada Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre.
The ship is now reported to be floating in the ocean, abandoned, as the fire rapidly spreads.
Japanese-based owner of the shipping line, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL), are arranging for the vessel to be towed to port.
