What Happened
A cargo ship lost power and slammed into an essential bridge in Baltimore early last Tuesday morning, demolishing it in seconds and dumping it into the river in a horrifying incident that might shut down a vital maritime port for months.
The crew of the vessel issued a mayday call minutes before the collapse that brought down the Francis Scott Key Bridge, allowing officials to restrict car traffic, Maryland’s governor said.
How it Happened
A cargo ship’s power outage causes a collapse of the Baltimore Bridge. The ship hit one of the bridge’s supports, causing its foundation to fall within a matter of seconds. The vessel caught fire, and heavy black smoke rose from it.
With the ship approaching the bridge at “a very, extremely rapid speed,” officials had barely enough time to prevent vehicles from crossing, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore stated. The incident occurred in the middle of the night, well before the hectic morning traffic on the 1.6-mile (2.6-kilometer) bridge, which had been utilized by 12 million vehicles last year.
Search for Survivors
However, a construction crew was on the bridge at the time of the incident, and up to six individuals were missing, Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld revealed. “This is an ongoing search and rescue mission. We know there were a few people working on the bridge at the time of the collapse, including contractors for us,” Wiedefeld stated.
At 6:30 a.m., Baltimore City Fire Chief James Wallace reported that two people had been pulled from the water. One individual was transported to a trauma facility in critical condition, while the other rejected medical treatment. A search and rescue operation were ongoing across a vast area.
Consulting Families
“This is a difficult day for multiple families who was awoken today to news that no one wants to hear. They are hoping and praying, and we are praying alongside them. “We are all wrapping our arms around the city of Baltimore,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg stated during a press conference on Tuesday afternoon.
“This is a severe emergency,” Baltimore fire spokesperson Kevin Cartwright stated. “Our focus right now is trying to rescue and find these people.”
“This is still a search and rescue operation. “We are continuing to search for survivors,” Moore stated during an interview with reporters Tuesday afternoon. “There is not a single resource we will hold off on deploying, I’ve already deployed air, land and sea resources.”
What Officials Had to Say
“It looked like something out of an action movie,” said Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, who described it as “an unthinkable tragedy.”
According to Maryland Transportation Authority first responder radio communications acquired from the Broadcastify.com archive, a police dispatcher sent a call immediately before the collapse informing officers that a ship had lost its steering and requesting that all traffic be stopped. One cop who had stopped traffic radioed that he was going to drive onto the bridge to notify the construction crew. But seconds later, a frightened cop exclaimed, “The entire bridge just collapsed down. “Start, whoever, everybody… the entire bridge just collapsed.”
From 1960 to 2015, the World Association for Waterborne Transport Infrastructure reported 35 major bridge collapses caused by ship or barge collisions on a separate radio channel for maintenance and construction workers. However, there was no subsequent order to evacuate, and the bridge collapsed 30 seconds later.
Rebuilding the Bridge
This incident is almost certain to cause difficulties with transportation along the East Coast for months, if not years, by halting ship traffic at the Port of Baltimore, a major shipping hub. The accident will also cause congestion in cargo and commuter traffic.
“Losing this bridge would ruin the entire area, as well as the entire East Coast,” Maryland State Sen. Johnny Ray Salling stated.
Highway signage as far south as Virginia cautioned drivers about the bridge’s difficulties.
Authorities claimed sonar detected cars in the sea, which is around 50 feet (15 meters) deep. The water temp was at 47 degrees Fahrenheit (8 degrees Celsius) before sunrise on Tuesday, according to a buoy that records data for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
State of Emergency
Synergy Marine Group, which runs the Dali, reported that the ship collided with a bridge pillar around 1:30 a.m. while being controlled by one or more local specialists who assist in securely guiding vessels into ports. The ship is owned by Grace Ocean Private Ltd.
According to Synergy, everyone on the crew and both of the pilots on board were safe, with no injuries reported.
The governor stated that the ship was going at 8 knots, or around 9 mph (14.8 kph). Jagged portions of the bridge could be seen protruding from the water’s surface. The on ramp abruptly stopped where the span had begun.
Donald Heinbuch, a former fire chief in Baltimore, claimed he awoke to a powerful rumble that shook his house for several seconds. “It felt like an earthquake,” he explained.
No Credible Information to Indicate Terrorism
The Baltimore Bridge collapsed due to a power outage aboard a cargo ship. Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley stated that there is no knowledge or indication that the incident was intentional.
The FBI issued the following statement: “There is no specific and credible evidence to suggest any ties to terrorism at this time.” The investigation is in progress. FBI Baltimore will continue to assist its partners at the local, state, and federal levels.
Since the Dali entered service in 2016, the ship has undergone 27 inspections. There were no problems until June, when Chilean authorities discovered faults in the propulsion and ancillary systems.
According to DHS, the Dali lost propulsion as it left Baltimore Harbor, making the June inspection particularly curious.
Written By Kyla Hughes
Sources:
WBAL TV Baltimore – Baltimore bridge collapse impacts Port of Baltimore, cruises
CNN – Cars, sugar and cruises: How the Port of Baltimore closure could hurt the economy
The New York Times – Baltimore’s Key Bridge Collapses After Being Hit by Ship: Live Updates
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First Inset Image Courtesy of Patrick Gillespie Flickr Page – Creative Common License
Second Inset Image Courtesy of Dave Schumaker Flickr Page – Creative Common License
