The 1.6-mile Francis Scott Key Baltimore Bridge collapsed like a stack of toothpicks early on Tuesday, sending vehicles and people into the icy sea below. The big cargo ship that struck it was destroyed. A Coast Guard spokesman stated during a press briefing on Tuesday night that six persons are thought to be deceased.
What caused the bridge to collapse?
Officials said that shortly before 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday, a container ship named DALI, flying the Singaporean flag, struck one of the 47-year-old bridge’s supports.
The ship’s local pilot “did everything that he could have done” to slow the craft and prevent it from drifting into the bridge, according to Clay Diamond, executive director and general counsel of the American Pilots Association, who spoke with CNN.
Diamond stated, “The ship experienced a complete blackout, which meant it lost both electrical and engine power, just minutes before the bridge.”
He went on to say that the pilot did “everything that he could have done” to slow the ship down and prevent it from drifting to the right, approaching the bridge.
With haste, the pilot sent a series of commands, requesting the dropping of an anchor and a hard rudder to port, or as far left as feasible.
The 95,000 gross ton ship’s lights can be seen going out and then back on in video as it approaches the bridge. Diamond claims that this is probably because an emergency generator kicked in after the initial blackout. However, the ship’s engines were never restarted.
In a written statement, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore verified the DALI was not powered by engines and stated that dropping anchor is standard procedure in an emergency.
The ship management firm Synergy Marine Pte Ltd was credited with the statement, which stated that “as a result (of the momentary loss of power) it was unable to maintain the intended course and struck the Francis Scott Key bridge.”
The 984-foot ship, which the massive Danish shipping company Maersk had hired to transport cargo, was in the incorrect channel as it neared the bridge, according to footage of the collision.
Rather than passing beneath the bridge’s center, where the clearance is greatest, the spacecraft struck a pillar pointed in the direction of one side.
Baltimore Bridge A recovery operation replaces the six missing persons’ rescue operations.
At separate press conferences, officials stated that six persons who were on the bridge when it collapsed are missing and are thought to be dead. Individuals from Guatemala and Mexico are among the victims.
According to Wiedefeld, the six individuals were engaged in the task of patching potholes on the bridge’s outside when the vessel collided. Wiedefeld stated that the construction work “had nothing to do with a structural issue at all.”
Speaking with reporters close to the scene on Tuesday, Rafael Laveaga, the Chief of the Consular Section of the Mexican Embassy in Washington, confirmed that there are Mexican nationals among the casualties, though he did not specify the number.
Laveaga declared, “We know our people are involved.” “The workers who were patching some of the bridge’s potholes are the Latinos, and they will rebuild the bridge for us.”
Guatemalan officials said that two of the missing workers were from their nation. One of the construction workers on the bridge was originally from San Luis, Petén, and was recognized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Guatemala as being 26 years old, while the other worker was from Camotán, Chiquimula, and was 35 years old.
Laveaga stated that maintaining constant communication with the authorities is of utmost importance and that it is premature to ascertain the nationalities of all the fatalities.
The Francis Scott Key Where the Netflix movie "Leave the World Behind". Took place at collapsed and fell in the ocean after a Cargo Ship hit it after power loss #BaltimoreBridgeCollapse #baltimorebridge pic.twitter.com/6uh9Fp0N5u
— 99 attempts (@Itismourinho) March 27, 2024
The National Transportation Safety Board will oversee the accident inquiry while search teams race to locate the missing, NTSB head Jennifer Homendy announced.
On Tuesday afternoon, Homendy stated, “We have a team of 24 on scene.”
Experts in maritime operations comprise the team, and they will gather data on vessel operations, safety records, ship owner and operator, corporate policy, and any safety management systems.
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