Cargo ship collapses bridge in Baltimore: rescuers search for people who fell into the water

The 2,5-mile-long Francis Scott Key Highway Bridge collapsed into the river in Baltimore, Maryland. On the night of March 26, a cargo ship crashed into it, reports Dailymail.

Photo: iStock.com/abriggs21

The 300-meter Singapore-flagged container ship Dali, whose destination was Colombo (Sri Lanka), got stuck among the wreckage of a collapsed bridge. After 20 minutes of travel, the cargo ship crashed into a bridge support column.

It remains unclear what exactly led to the disaster. The footage shows the container ship's lights going out seconds before hitting the bridge support.

This is similar to a power failure on board a cargo ship. The crew of 22 were not injured and are currently being questioned by the coast guard. Read about the most unreliable and dangerous bridges in the USA in our material.

Injured and missing

Initial reports said at least a dozen cars had plunged into the 9-degree water. About 20 construction workers who were doing concrete work on the bridge at that moment also fell into the river. At the time of the crash, they were filling the bridge with concrete, as a result of which 6 members of the construction crew are considered missing.

On the subject: Google Maps took the driver to a bridge that collapsed 10 years ago: a man died

Maryland Governor Wes Moore declared a state of emergency. He is counting on help from the federal government.

The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland which crosses the Patapsco River has reportedly collapsed within the last few minutes after being struck by a Large Container Ship; a Mass Casualty Incident has been declared with over a Dozen Cars and many Individuals said to… pic.twitter.com/SsPMU8Mjph

- OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) March 26, 2024

The Maryland Department of Transportation said an active search and rescue operation was underway.

Maryland authorities are using sonar to search for submerged vehicles. Divers are working to rescue the victims.

The FBI said there is "no specific or credible information to suggest this incident is terrorism-related."

At least seven people were reportedly being searched in the river. Two have already been pulled out of the water. One refused medical attention, Baltimore Fire Chief James Wallace said. The second person rescued was taken to hospital in serious condition.

The East Coast bridge collapse would likely create a logistical nightmare for months, if not years. The accident stopped ship traffic in the port of Baltimore.

Causes of tragedy

According to a preliminary report from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the container ship "lost power" while leaving the port.

“The cargo ship notified the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) that it had lost control of the container ship and was in danger of colliding with a bridge,” the statement said. “The ship then crashed into the bridge, causing it to completely collapse.”

The container ship crashed into one of the bridge supports, causing its structure to break, bend in several places and collapse into the water in a matter of seconds. The ship caught fire and thick black smoke poured out of it.

It appears that the container ship exploded when it collided with a bridge. Diesel fuel poured into the water.

You may be interested in: top New York news, stories of our immigrants, and helpful tips about life in the Big Apple — read it all on ForumDaily New Y

The ship was not piloted by its own crew, but by local pilots specially trained to avoid accidents.

“Pilots are moving ships in and out of the Port of Baltimore,” Maryland Transportation Commissioner Paul Wiedefeld said at a March 26 press conference.

Following the bridge's collapse, its structural engineer and designer, Ian Firth, suggested that the cargo ship had most likely "veered" off course rather than passed under the center of the structure.

“For some reason it must have deflected and hit the support. It is a very relatively fragile structure. It's something like an overpass with separate legs. That is, the bridge simply collapsed as a result of a very strong impact force,” he concluded.

The bridge was built in 1977 and named after Francis Scott Key, author of the US national anthem. A two-lane toll road ran along this overpass - one of the main routes between New York and Washington.

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