FELICITY Ace sank yesterday at about 0900 local time. The car carrier was about 220 nautical miles off Portugal’s Azores archipelago after burning for two weeks.
A fire broke out on the Panama-flagged vessel on 16 February, about 90 nautical miles south-west of the Azores. It was en route to the US from Germany with a cargo of cars. All 22 crewmembers were safely evacuated.
According to media reports, the cargo comprises about 4000 vehicles – Lamborghinis, Bentleys, Porsches and other cars made by Volkswagen. Reuters reports that some of the vehicles are electric with lithium-ion batteries, which are extremely difficult to extinguish when on fire.
MOL Shipmanagement Singapore manages the vessel, and it is owned by Snowscape Car Carriers, a subsidiary of MOL.
