In the early hours of Tuesday morning, a container ship collided with the iconic Francis Scott Key Bridge near Baltimore, resulting in a significant portion of the bridge collapsing.
The collision occurred after the cargo ship lost power.
Tragically, the incident led to the disappearance of 6 individuals who were on the bridge at the time, with several vehicles plunging into the River Patapsco.
Following the accident, the Coast Guard announced that at least six people were presumed dead. Maryland Governor Wes Moore promptly declared a state of emergency, and as a precautionary measure, the Port of Baltimore has been closed to maritime traffic.
President Joe Biden assured that the federal government would bear the entire cost of reconstructing the bridge and reopening the port.
Officials from the government and medical bodies have confirmed the tragic death of a group of laborers deployed by authorities to repair roads plagued by potholes.
Victims of Baltimore bridge collapse
Limited information is available regarding the survivors and victims of the tragic incident at the time of writing.
Two injured individuals have been recovered, with one treated at the Cowley Shock Trauma Center and subsequently discharged.
Coast Guard Rear Admiral Shannon Gilreath expressed that the chances of locating the missing workers alive are slim due to the cold water temperatures and the significant duration that has passed since the accident occurred.
Six individuals are believed to have succumbed to hypothermia, owing to the cold water temperatures and prolonged submersion, as announced by the US Coast Guard on Tuesday evening.
Following a full-day search and rescue operation, the agency has transitioned its focus to a recovery mission aimed at locating the bodies and providing closure to the victims’ families.
First responders encountered challenging conditions during their efforts, contending with hazardous debris in the water and obstacles such as cargo or retainers hanging from the bridge.
As dive teams confront challenging conditions in the debris-filled and dark waters, search-and-rescue efforts have been halted after approximately 18 hours, according to officials from the U.S. Coast Guard and Maryland State Police.
The Baltimore Bridge: Know more
The Baltimore bridge, commonly known as the Key Bridge, was inaugurated in 1977 to commemorate Francis Scott Key, a renowned Maryland poet credited with writing the lyrics to the US national anthem, the Star-Spangled Banner.
Extending 2.6 km over the Patapsco River and Baltimore harbor, the bridge serves as a vital link to Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in the United States.
Characterized as a continuous truss bridge, its primary span, measuring 1,200 feet, ranks as the third-longest of its kind globally.
Video footage capturing the incident depicts the bridge collapsing instantly following a collision with the container ship Dali, which struck one of its pillars around 01:30 local time (05:30 GMT) on Tuesday.
The Story of the Ship
The Singapore-flagged container vessel Dali, originally constructed by Hyundai Heavy Industries for Greek shipowner Oceanbulk, is presently managed by the charter vessel company Synergy Group and was on temporary lease to container shipping giant Maersk, according to a statement from Maersk.
While carrying cargo for Maersk customers, the ship departed from Baltimore’s Seagirt Marine Terminal at approximately 00:24 local time en route to Colombo, Sri Lanka.
MarineTraffic data reveals a sudden deviation from its southeast course along the Patapsco River at 01:25, coinciding with the extinguishing of exterior lights and the emergence of smoke from the ship’s funnel.
Moments later, the vessel collided with the bridge. A mayday signal was issued as the ship approached, allowing authorities to halt traffic and prevent further casualties.
Governor Moore reported the ship’s rapid speed of approximately eight knots before the collision. An unclassified memo from the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency stated that the Dali had experienced a loss of propulsion.
While the cause of the incident remains under investigation, the presence of two pilots aboard makes such a collision uncommon.
Additionally, the vessel had been involved in a previous incident in 2016 when it scraped its stern along a quay while departing the port of Antwerp, Belgium.
Will the collapse have any implications?
The collapse of the Key Bridge is poised to cause extensive traffic disruptions for both road users and shipping operations in Baltimore.
As an integral part of Interstate 695, the bridge handled an estimated 11.5 million vehicles annually. While alternative routes, including a nearby tunnel, remain available for road traffic, the closure poses a significant challenge for trucks transporting hazardous materials.
Meanwhile, the port of Baltimore will experience severe impacts on shipping activities, with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg acknowledging a prolonged disruption to supply chains.
Container shipping expert Lars Jansen described the incident as a “major disaster” likely to affect US importers and exporters on the East Coast. Despite efforts to reroute cargo through other ports, numerous merchant vessels are reportedly stranded in Baltimore, exacerbating the situation.
Nonetheless, while delays and increased costs are anticipated, the incident is not expected to have a substantial global impact.
