In a statement, ship manager Mitsui OSK Lines Ltd (MOL) said Felicity Ace remained stable, and that the smoke that had been emanating from the ship for several days, about 170 km southwest of the Azores, had stopped.
see photosInsurance experts said the incident could result in damages of up to $155 million.
More than a week after a ship full of luxury cars caught fire in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, a rescue team on Friday managed to board the ship and begin to move it safely off the Portuguese Azores archipelago.
In a statement, ship manager Mitsui OSK Lines Ltd (MOL) said Felicity Ace remained stable, and that the smoke that had been emanating from the ship for several days, about 170 km southwest of the Azores, had stopped.
The 22 crew members of the Panama-flagged Felicity Ace, which was carrying about 4,000 Volkswagen vehicles including Porsche, Audis and Bentleys from Germany to the United States, were evacuated last Wednesday, the day the fire broke out.
Port officials have said some of the vehicles are electric and their lithium-ion batteries made it very difficult to put out the fire.
“We fear that the onboard fire has damaged approximately 4,000 Group-brand vehicles to such an extent that they can no longer be delivered to customers,” Volkswagen said in a statement on Friday.
Previous attempts to board the ship to assess the ship’s condition and prepare it for towing were unsuccessful due to fire and rough seas.
The ship’s manager said that on Friday, the team was able to board a helicopter and rescue boat Bear began moving the ship to a “safe area off the Azores.” It was not clear where exactly the ship was being taken.
MOL said it was being transported by two tug boats and another rescue vehicle equipped with fire fighting gear.
Volkswagen said damage to the vehicles was covered by insurance, adding that brands and dealers had already begun notifying affected customers and finding “individualized solutions”.
Insurance experts said the incident could result in damages of up to $155 million.
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