Divers will search the harbor for six presumed dead after the Baltimore Bridge collision
Six workers were reported missing and believed dead after a cargo ship collapsed on a bridge in Baltimore Harbor. Divers planned to continue their search before daybreak on Wednesday.
In addition, the crash caused traffic congestion in the surrounding area and prompted the closure of one of the busiest ports in the nation, the Port of Baltimore. Less than twenty-four hours after the six workmen were hurled into the icy waters at the Patapsco River’s mouth from the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge, the search for them was halted on Tuesday night.
Reduced visibility and more dangerous currents in the wreckage-filled canal rendered it too dangerous for Maryland State Police and US Coast Guard authorities to continue searching the river overnight. On Tuesday, rescuers extracted two more workers alive from the water; one of them was taken to the hospital. There were six laborers from Mexico, Guatemala, and El Salvador among the six who were thought to have died.
All eight were reportedly working as pothole patchers on the road surface of Key Bridge when the container ship Dali, flying the Singapore flag and sailing from Baltimore to Sri Lanka, collided with one of the bridge’s support pylons at about 1:30 in the morning, according to officials. Almost instantly, a trestled portion of the 2.6-kilometer crossing collapsed into the frigid water, plunging cars and laborers into the river.
Shortly before colliding with the ground, the 948-foot ship reported losing propulsion. It then lowered its anchor to slow down, allowing the transportation authorities time to stop traffic on the bridge. Authorities were cited by Reuters as stating the action probably avoided a larger death toll. At a press conference on Tuesday, Maryland Governor Wes Moore said that the bridge complies with regulations and has no known structural problems. Officials said there was no proof of foul play.
When the ship attempted to leave the North Sea container terminal in 2016, it struck a pier in the port of Antwerp, Belgium. Data on the public Equasis website, which offers ship information, indicates that “propulsion and auxiliary machinery” issues were discovered during a 2023 inspection conducted in Chile.
The ship, according to Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority, passed two independent foreign port inspections in June and September of 2023. It said that during the vessel’s June 2023 inspection, a malfunctioning fuel pressure gauge was fixed before it left the port. A social media video showed the ship striking the Key Bridge in the dark, with headlights from passing cars apparent as it plunged into the sea and caught fire.
According to a report from Synergy Marine Pte Ltd, the ship’s management business, all 22 crew members aboard Grace Ocean Pte Ltd, were present and accounted for. Pete Buttigieg, the secretary of transportation for the United States, said that supply chains will be significantly and permanently impacted by the port’s shutdown. According to port statistics, the Port of Baltimore handles more automotive freight than any other port in the United States, with over 750,000 automobiles handled in 2022. Additionally, the port handles bulk and container goods, ranging from coal to sugar.
