Dramatic images show the blaze-Zodiac vehicle carrier as salvage tug arrives

^{Photo credit: US Coast Guard / Petty Officer 2nd Class Alexandria O’Brien}

A salvage tug has reached the Zodiac Maritime-managed vehicle carrier Morning Midas on Monday afternoon after a fire broke out about 340 miles southwest of Adak in Alaska on June 3.

All 22 crew members evacuated the Liberian-flagged vessel, 2006-built, and were subsequently rescued by the crew of the motor vessel Cosco Hellas, one of the vessels on the scene.

The vessel departed from Yantai, China on May 26 with destination Lázaro Cárdenas in Mexico where it was expected to arrive on June 15.

The tug vessel, Gretchen Dunlap, arrived on scene with salvage personnel Monday afternoon and has begun a full assessment of the conditions on scene.

Two additional vessels are scheduled to arrive on scene at different dates within the next two weeks.

A Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak HC-130J Super Hercules aircrew conducted an overflight of the Morning Midas on Sunday and observed no signs of pollution.

The Coast Guard has been working closely with Zodiac Maritime, the vessel’s manager, to respond to