In Baltimore, Maryland, a container ship flying the Singapore flag hit the Key Bridge, causing it to collapse and causing people and cars to fall into the waters of the Patapsco River. At the moment one person has died while rescuers continue to search tirelessly for the missing who, according to the Maryland Secretary of Transportation, are at least six while two people have been recovered. Maryland authorities confirmed the presence of some workers working on the deck at the time of the impact and spoke of “a power problem” that the ship would have had before the impact.
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The dynamics
The Baltimore police confirmed that the structure collapsed although it is not clear at the moment what caused the collision of the 300 meter long container ship flying the flag of Singapore bound for Colombo, Sri Lanka. The same cargo had already been involved in a collision in 2016 in the port of Antwerp.
An initial reconstruction was given by the media, explaining that the Dali had “lost propulsion” as it left the port and had warned the authorities that it was losing control. It reports it Abc citing the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. “The vessel had informed the Maryland Department of Transportation that it had lost control and that a collision with the bridge was possible,” the TV network said.
In fact, at the time of the collision there were not its crew at the controls but local pilots employed by the port, used precisely to avoid accidents like the one that occurred today. “Pilots fly ships in and out of the Port of Baltimore,” said the Maryland Transportation Secretary, Paul Wiedefeld, explaining that the port’s pilots board arriving ships at the entrance to the canal, while for those leaving they take them into open waters. The idea is that local pilots know the dangers of every port, river or canal, Wiedefeld added.
“Risk of hypothermia for those who fall into the water”
“There is no indication” that the collapse of the Baltimore bridge was the result of a terrorist act or that it was caused on purpose: the city’s police chief said in a press conference, Richard Worley.
Baltimore Fire Department spokesman Kevin Cartwrightsaid it was still early to confirm the number of victims, but described the collapse of the Francis Scott-Key Bridge as in the “mass casualty event” category.
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Cartright said his forces are now focusing on rescuing those in the water. The water in Baltimore Harbor is currently at 9 degrees Celsius according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The risk for those who fell into the water and survived is hypothermia.
Everyone safe on board the cargo
According to what was initially reported by New York Timesand later confirmed by Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld, the people on board the cargo ship were all safe.
The owners of the Dali, a Singapore-flagged vessel, confirmed in an emailed statement that the vessel collided with one of the pillars of the Francis Scott Key Bridge around 1:30 a.m. Eastern.
All crew members, including the two pilots on board, have been accounted for and there were no injuries on the ship, the statement said. The cause of the collision has not yet been determined and the owners and managers of the vessel are cooperating with authorities, according to the statement.
The bridge built in 1977
Open since 1977, it is called the Francisc Scott Key Bridge after the author of the American national anthem. Four lanes, it is three kilometers long and the structure, strategic for the port of Baltimore and the culmination of the Baltimore Beltway (Interstate 695, I-695), collapsed into the Patapsco River.
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At the time of the inauguration, the New York Times he wrote that it would “provide motorists traveling along the East Coast of the United States with an attractive alternative” to the traffic-clogged Baltimore Harbor Tunnel. It cost $141 million to build at the time, the equivalent of $735 million in Today.
The port of Baltimore is one of the main hubs in the USA
The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge threatens to disrupt operations at one of America’s main hubs for cars, containers and international cargo. Last year the port was number one in the United States for the transport of cars and trucks, a total of 850 thousand vehicles, according to the Cnn.
Iconic Baltimore, the bay of the accident which after the naval battle of 1814 gave the anthem to the United States by Enrico Franceschini 26 March 2024
Also in first place for the transport of agricultural and construction machinery, and for the arrival of imported sugar and chalk. The port, again last year, came in second place for coal exports. The port is the ninth in the United States for international cargo, with a total of 52.3 million tons of goods, equal to a value of 80.8 million dollars in 2023.
In the port there is also a terminal for cruise ships, operated by Royal Caribbean, Carnival and Norwegian, from which over 444 thousand passengers departed last year. According to figures from the state of Maryland, the port guarantees 15,330 direct jobs and over 139 thousand in related industries.