Authorities stopped looking for six missing people after a crowded cargo ship crashed into a Baltimore bridge, causing it to fall down and block one of the busiest US commercial harbors.
The Port of Baltimore is the ninth-busiest major US port in both the amount and value of foreign cargo it handles. It directly provides jobs for more than 15,000 people and supports nearly 140,000 others.
US Coast Guard Rear Admiral Shannon Gilreath said they don't think they'll find any of the missing individuals alive, given the time that has passed, the extensive search efforts, and the water temperature.
All six missing people were part of a nighttime construction crew that was fixing potholes on the Francis Scott Key Bridge when the disaster happened just after midnight.
Maryland’s secretary of state police, Roland Butler, stated that the search and rescue phase is ending and they're now transitioning to a recovery operation.
The temperatures and currents are making it hard for divers to work underwater, but boats will keep patrolling overnight.
A video showed the packed container ship hitting one of the bridge's supports, leading the 1977-built steel structure to collapse like a deck of cards.
Maryland Governor Wes Moore mentioned that quick action by authorities, upon receiving a Mayday call from the ship, prevented vehicles from driving onto the bridge.
Governor Moore called the people involved heroes for saving lives that night.
There is no evidence of terrorism or intentional harm, stated Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley. said Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley said there is absolutely no indication of terrorism or intentional harm.
Governor Moore stated that the initial investigation suggests it was an accident.
Governor Moore, a rising star in the Democratic party, also confirmed that there was no sign of structural issues with the bridge, as it was fully compliant with regulations.
Paul Wiedefeld, the Maryland transportation chief, clarified that the crew working on the bridge was only repairing potholes and had no connection to any structural problems.
President Joe Biden called the collapse a “terrible accident,” and pledged to get the port reopened and the bridge rebuilt.
Two of the missing workers were from Guatemala, as reported by the country’s foreign ministry.
– Attempt to drop anchors –
Steel girders were sticking out of the water in the middle of the Patapsco River, with twisted metal covering the ship's deck.
Local teacher Tiffany Wengert, 30, expressed her shock, saying, “This is something we’ve been looking at our whole lives. And all of the sudden… it’s just gone.”
Local teacher Tiffany Wengert, age 30, reacted to the collapse, saying, “We've been seeing this our whole lives, and suddenly… it’s just gone.”
Details emerged about how the crew attempted to prevent disaster after their ship lost power and started heading toward the bridge.
According to the maritime authority for Singapore, where the Dali is registered, the vessel experienced a brief loss of propulsion before the incident, causing it to lose control and collide.
The organization stated that the company managing the ship, Synergy Marine Pte Ltd, reported that the crew attempted to use anchors as a last resort to stop the ship.
Investigators from the government anticipate that recordings from the ship will be crucial in determining what happened, according to Jennifer Homendy, the head of the National Transportation Safety Board, which is leading the investigation.
Butler, from the Maryland state police, mentioned that divers will start a more thorough search on Wednesday morning to try their best to find the six missing individuals.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge, which is named after the poet who wrote the words to the US national anthem, is a crucial link in the East Coast highway system, being used by approximately 34,000 vehicles daily.
Although there are other bridges and tunnels for drivers to go over the harbor, the twisted steel barrier that now lies partially submerged at the harbor entrance blocks nearly all maritime traffic.
In the early hours of Wednesday, the plan is to send divers into the water and start a more thorough search in an effort to find the six missing individuals, according to Butler.
US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg cautioned that this incident will significantly and for an extended period impact supply chains, and added that it is still too early to determine when the port might reopen.
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott described the collapse of the bridge as an unimaginable tragedy, comparable to something seen in an action movie.
He emphasized the importance of considering the families and individuals who have been affected.
– Ship passed two inspections in 2023 –
As per Singapore’s port authority, a cargo ship that collided with a Baltimore bridge, leading to its collapse, had successfully completed two international inspections in 2023.
The port authority mentioned that the necessary classification society and statutory certificates for the vessel's structural integrity and equipment functionality were valid at the time of the incident.
It also stated that a faulty monitor gauge for fuel pressure was fixed in June.
On Tuesday evening, the port authority informed that its investigators, along with those from the Transport Safety Investigation Bureau, were heading to Baltimore to assist the US Coast Guard.
The Singapore-flagged ship had a brief loss of propulsion just before crashing into the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which collapsed and obstructed the commercial harbor.
AFP