LISBON – Rough waters forced authorities on Wednesday to postpone salvage operation of a packed ship luxury car burned for a week in the mid-Atlantic, a port official said.
When crews were unable to board the Felicity Ace, heavy tugs sprayed water to cool the ship, which was carrying about 4,000 vehicles, including Porsches, Audis, Lamborghini and You.
Lamborghini America CEO Andrea Baldi told Automotive News that there are dozens of pre-sold Lamborghinis on board, mostly Urus SUV car. But there are also some Huracans and Aventadorsthe latter has been discontinued.
The ship’s 22 crew members were evacuated last Wednesday, the day the fire started.
Some electric vehicles and their lithium-ion the battery Port officials said that made the fire very difficult to put out.
João Mendes Cabeças, captain of the nearest port on the Azore’s Faial island, said the fire had lost its intensity – possibly because there was only so little left to burn.
Rescue crews hope to board the ship, which is drifting about 170 kilometers southwest of the Azores near Portugal, to assess its condition and begin preparations for it. sled, the Portuguese navy said in a statement on Tuesday. The Navy took pictures of the ship showing a hole at least four decks high, with burn marks running the length of the ship.
It remains unclear whether the ship will be towed to the Bahamas or to Europe.
Cabeças told Reuters that bad weather prevented the team from getting on board. Portugal’s IPMA weather agency said waves up to 2.5 meters high hit the Faial coast on Wednesday.
The salvage team is expected to be brought aboard a Portuguese air force helicopter, which will decide on Thursday whether the operation can proceed, Cabeças said.
The ship’s director, Mitsui OSK Lines Ltd (MOL) said in a statement on Tuesday that the vessel was still on fire but stable and that no oil leaks had been reported to date. It did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment on the cause of the fire.
Insurance experts said the incident could lead to $155 million in damage.
