Burning cargo ship carrying Porsches, Volkswagens, Bentleys is adrift

The Portuguese navy said it rescued all 22 crew members via helicopter. Authorities described the rescue mission as “highly skilled and physically demanding.” The crew members were taken to a hotel on Faial Island in the Azores, according to the Associated Press. None of the crew members were injured in the fire.

The fire was still burning on the ship as of Friday, according to the Portuguese navy, and photos showed white smoke billowing out of the vessel. Joao Mendes Cabecas, a captain of the nearby port of Hortas, told Reuters that lithium-ion batteries in the electric cars on the Felicity Ace caught fire, but it was unclear whether that is what started the blaze.

“The ship is burning from one end to the other,” Cabecas said. “Everything is on fire about five meters [16 feet] above the water line.”

Angus Fitton, a spokesman with Porsche North America, told The Washington Post that the company was thankful that the Felicity Ace crew members were safe. He confirmed that “a number of our cars are among the cargo.”

“We are in contact with the shipping company, and the details of the cars on board are now known,” Fitton said. “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. Anyone concerned by this incident and the implications on the car they’ve ordered should contact their Porsche dealer.”

It remains unclear how many of the thousands of luxury vehicles onboard have been lost in the blaze, but it’s probably millions of dollars worth. The Felicity Ace can carry more than 18,700 tons of cargo.

Depending on the model of the Porsche, the average price for the German-made vehicle can range from $101,000 to $174,000, according to U.S. dealers. In addition to the Porsches and Volkswagens, there were also 189 Bentleys on the ship, the Drive reported. Newer-model Bentleys can cost between $166,000 and $348,000, according to Car and Driver.

A spokesman for the Volkswagen Group confirmed that the Felicity Ace was transporting its vehicles to the United States but declined to elaborate on the extent of the losses.

“We are in contact with the shipping company to get more information about the incident,” said the spokesman, Dirk Ameer.

The Japanese shipping line Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, which operates the Felicity Ace, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The cargo ship fire is the latest wrinkle in the ongoing supply chain struggles that have affected U.S. retailers large and small since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. The U.S. Agriculture Department recently suspended imports of avocados from Mexico at a time when Americans were celebrating one of their two most avocado-centric events: the Super Bowl. (The other is Cinco de Mayo.)

Felicity Ace crew members issued a…