The cargo ship on which fire broke out almost two weeks ago off the coast of the Azores has sunk. That reports the Portuguese navy. On board the ship were 4,000 new cars from the Volkswagen group.
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“The cargo ship Felicity Ace has sunk,” it says in a press release from the Navy. The ship had become unstable and sank during the salvage operation, which had started on 24 February.
• ‘Batteries on car ship are still burning
The ship was on its way from Germany to the United States. The 22 crew members were able to be evacuated from the burning ship. The fire is said to have been caused by lithium batteries in the electric cars on board, but that information has not yet been confirmed.
The ship sank in a location where the ocean is 3,000 meters deep. A small oil slick has formed on the water surface. It will be cleaned up by a special cleaning vessel of the Portuguese Navy.
The ship transported 1,100 Porsches and 189 Bentleys. The specialized company Russell group, which carries out risk assessments, previously calculated that the fire on the freighter could cost the Volkswagen car group 137 million euros. The damage would be insured.
The US dealers and customers have already been informed that their car was on board.
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