Ship Carrying 3,900 Porsches, Bentleys And Lamborghinis Abandoned In Atlantic Ocean

A cargo ship reportedly containing 3,965 vehicles from brands such as Porsche, Audi and Lamborghini, among others, continues to burn south of the Portuguese Azores islands.

The Felicity Ace, which is owned by a subsidiary of the Japanese transport company Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, was traveling from Emden, Germany, to the Port of Davisville in Rhode Island when it caught fire in the Atlantic Wednesday, The Providence Journal reported.

Lithium-ion batteries in electric cars onboard the 656-foot Panamanian-flagged vessel caught fire and required specialist equipment to extinguish, according to Reuters.

Around 1,100 vehicles from Porsche and 189 cars from Bentley were on board the Felicity Ace, said spokespersons for the car brands owned by Volkswagen.

Audi, another Volkswagen brand, confirmed that some of its vehicles were also on the ship, but the company did not state how many.

The current state of the vehicles onboard the cargo ship is unknown.

A 16-person salvage team from SMIT Salvage, a subsidiary of the Dutch maritime services provider Boskalis, has been sent to the ship in response to the fire.

"Large equipment" was en route from Spain and the Netherlands to assist in fighting the ongoing blaze, Boskalis said in a statement.

Additionally, two large firefighting tugs were expected to arrive on the scene from Gibraltar Sunday and Monday.

The Felicity Ace, which was too large to be brought to the Azores, is expected to be towed back to mainland Europe if it is deemed seaworthy after the fire is put out, according to the report by The Providence Journal.

Whoever salvages the ship is entitled to compensation based on the value of its cargo as well as the condition of the ship, according to maritime law.

Should it be towed back to Europe, a negotiation would likely begin between the ship's owner and the salvage company regarding payment, said Jonathan Gutoff, a professor at Roger Williams University School of Law who teaches maritime law.

The Felicity Ace's 22 crew members were evacuated on the day the fire started, Portugal's navy said in a statement.

A patrol boat from the maritime branch as well as four merchant vessels helped with the rescue, The Washington Post reported. Aircraft from the Portuguese Air Force were also mobilized.

The evacuated crew were later taken to a hotel in the Azores, where they were safe and in good health, according to the Seatrade Maritime News.