Burning Cargo Ship Loaded With Luxury Cars Adrift In Atlantic Ocean

A cargo ship packed with luxury cars was adrift mid-Atlantic Wednesday after it caught fire, forcing its crew onboard to evacuate. The huge vessel was carrying 22 crew members who were taken off in view of the rapidly-spreading fire, the Portuguese Navy said.

The Felicity Ace, a 656-foot vessel, drifted near Portugal’s Azores Islands after the emergency evacuation was carried out, Portuguese navy spokesman Cmdr. José Sousa Luís told The Associated Press. The roll-on/roll-off car-carrying ship, en route from Emden, Germany to the Rhode Island, U.S., was carrying cars, including Porsches and Volkswagens.

The Felicity Ace can carry more than 17,000 metric tons (18,700 tons) of cargo, which is typical of car transport ships that carry thousands of vehicles on multiple decks in their hold. The ship's operator, Japan’s Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, told the AP it could not provide information about the cargo or its owner.

The crew members were safely removed with the help of helicopters and lifeboats. The crew was then taken to a local hotel by the officials of the Ponta Delgada Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center. There were no reports of significant damages caused by the fire, CNN reported.

The Portuguese Navy shared visuals from the site, which showed the fire still burning with plumes of smoke billowing into the sky.

The Portuguese Air Force also released a video of the rescue crew aboard the Felicity Ace, which is now abandoned and adrift in the Atlantic.

A Navy ship was also deployed to check whether the cargo vessel was in danger of sinking or causing pollution, Sousa Luís told The Associated Press.

The ship's owner is trying to arrange for a tow. None of those on board were hurt. Porche confirmed to CNN business that a number of its cars were on the cargo and the company is trying to communicate with its owners. "While it remains too early to confirm what occurred and next steps, we are -- along with our colleagues at Porsche AG -- supporting our customers and our dealers as best we can to find solutions," Angus Fitton, Vice President of PR at Porsche Cars North America, told CNN. "We are in contact with the shipping company and the details of the cars on board are now known."

Volkswagen also has owners awaiting their cars that are on board the burning ship. "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," said Volkswagen spokesperson Dirk Ameer, a Volkswagen spokesperson, told CNN. "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."