Car Carrier Abandoned After Catching Fire 630 Miles Off Costa Rica

The U.S. Coast Guard coordinated the rescue of 22 crew members from a vehicle carrier after an engine room fire forced the crew to abandon ship roughly 630 miles south of Costa Rica.

Coast Guard Southwest District watchstanders received an Inmarsat distress alert from the Marshall Islands-flagged Min Jiang Kou at 1:09 p.m. Thursday, reporting a fire in the vessel’s engine room.

The crew activated the ship’s carbon dioxide fire suppression system, which initially contained the blaze, according to the Coast Guard. Watchstanders also established contact with the vessel’s manager and began coordinating assistance.

Given the ship’s remote location, the Coast Guard turned to the Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue System, or AMVER, to identify merchant vessels in the area capable of responding.

Two ships — the motor vessel Jin Hai Ping and motor tanker Degu — diverted to assist.

The situation aboard Min Jiang Kou deteriorated later Thursday. At 11:33 p.m., the crew reported increasing smoke aboard the vessel, prompting the captain to order the crew to abandon ship in the vessel’s lifeboats. The captain initially remained aboard.

Jin Hai Ping recovered all 22 mariners from the lifeboats, while Degu remained on scene to provide additional assistance. By 12:21 p.m. Friday, all 22 crew members were reported safely aboard Jin Hai Ping, which is expected to transport them to Akita, Japan.

“The willingness of fellow mariners to answer a distress call reminds us of the extraordinary commitment the maritime community shares to protecting life at sea,” said Capt. Jessica Davila, Southwest District chief of incident management. “This rescue highlights the strength of international partnerships, and the vital role coordination plays in ensuring mariners in distress receive timely assistance.”

No environmental impacts have been reported from the casualty.

The Coast Guard said the vessel is coordinating with Resolve Marine for further repairs. The agency did not provide additional information on the condition of Min Jiang Kou or the extent of damage caused by the fire.

AMVER is a voluntary global ship-reporting system sponsored by the U.S. Coast Guard that allows rescue coordinators to identify participating merchant vessels near maritime emergencies. The system is frequently used in long-range incidents where conventional search-and-rescue assets may be hours or days away.

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