On March 2, local time, the freighter Felicity Ace, carrying about 4,000 luxury cars owned by the Volkswagen Group, sank about 400 kilometers off the coast of the Portuguese Azores. According to the report, the freighter caught fire on February 16 and continued to burn for nearly two weeks.
It is reported that the freighter carries Volkswagen brand Porsche, Bentley and other luxury cars, from the German port of Emden to the United States Rhode Island.
After the freighter caught fire, the 22 crew members on board were evacuated urgently. Fortunately, the fire caused no casualties.
Although officials did not tell how many cars there were on the freighter, a freighter the size of the "Felicity Ace" could carry at least 4,000 cars.
Subsequently, Bentley confirmed that there were 189 Bentleys on the freighter, and Porsche said that about 1100 Porsches were "buried" in the sea.
According to Reuters, Volkswagen Group said that the damage to the vehicle will be borne by the insurance company, and the insurance cost is expected to reach 155 million US dollars.
As for the cause of the fire, the Portuguese Navy said that although there is no conclusive evidence at present, there is reason to suspect that the lithium batteries of the ship's electric vehicles caused the fire.
At the same time, the report also pointed out that because the freighter was carrying nearly 2,200 tons of fuel and 2,000 tons of oil, portugal was worried about a fuel leak that could pollute the oceans. An official said that while no contamination has been reported, there are concerns that the fuel tank could be damaged as the freighter continues to sink to a depth of 3,500 meters.
Source: Jimu News
Source: Hefei Evening News