All 22 crewmembers of the vehicle carrier Min Jiang Kou were rescued after an engine room fire forced them to abandon the vessel about 630 nautical miles off Costa Rica.
The U.S. Coast Guard received an Inmarsat distress alert on August 6. The Marshall Islands-flagged vessel reported an engine room fire. The crew activated the engine room’s CO₂ fixed fire-extinguishing system and initially contained the blaze.
The situation worsened later that night when the crew reported increasing smoke. The master then ordered the crew to abandon ship using the lifeboats. He remained aboard to monitor the vessel and the emergency.
The Coast Guard used its AMVERSystem to alert nearby commercial vessels and request assistance. Two good Samaritan vessels responded and proceeded to the casualty.
The cargo ship Jin Hai Ping rescued all 22 crewmembers from the lifeboats. The seafarers were safely taken aboard the assisting vessel. Jin Hai Ping is now transporting them to Akita, Japan.
No injuries were reported among the crew. Authorities have also reported no pollution from the incident.
Pure car and truck carrier Min Jiang Kou was built in 2024 and is operated by COSCO Shipping Specialized Carriers. The vessel is about 200 metres long and 38 metres wide. At the time of the incident, it was completing a Pacific crossing from Tianjin, China, to Manta, Ecuador.
The vessel is working with salvage company Resolve Marine on its recovery and repairs.
