A containership outbound from the Port of Baltimore collided with one of the pillars of one of the city’s primary roadway bridges causing the bridge to collapse overnight. City, state, and federal authorities are calling it a possible mass casualty event as a search is ongoing in the waters around the bridge.
In a morning briefing, the Baltimore Fire Department reported that two people were found in the water and taken to a local hospital in critical condition. Reports are varying widely on the number of people possibly involved with the fire department saying they are searching for at least seven people while some reports suggest 20 or more might be missing.
In addition to darkness, the rescue operations are being hampered by cold water temperatures. Reports are that the water is at 47 degrees Fahrenheit (8 degrees Celsius). Teams from the local emergency responders as well as U.S. Coast Guard vessels and helicopters are on scene.
Multiple cars and trucks are believed to have been on the Francis Scott Key Bridge, a 1.6-mile-long major thoroughfare and the primary route for trucks carrying hazardous materials. The collapse took place around 1:30 a.m. local time however which may have helped to reduce the number of vehicles on the bridge at the time of the collapse.
The vessel, the 984-foot-long Dali (116,581 dwt) owned by Grace Ocean and managed by Synergy Marine departed the Baltimore container terminal shortly after midnight local time and had two pilots aboard as it was navigating the harbor exit. Some reports are suggesting the vessel experienced a possible mechanical problem just before 1:30 a.m. causing it to strike one of the supports. Videos show the massive bridge collapsing onto the ship and into the water.
The Volunteer Firefighters from @jmvfc8, the Volunteer Swift Water Team and the @HarfordCoDES Special Operations Team are assisting the Unified Command at the Baltimore Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse. pic.twitter.com/ipoTR2HljY
— Harford Co., MD Fire & EMS (@HarforCoFireEMS) March 26, 2024
Reports are suggesting that there was a fire after the collision aboard the containership which has a capacity of 10,000 TEU. Synergy reports the vessel had 4,679 TEU loaded and that the 22 crew, all Indian nationals, have been accounted for and are uninjured.
The Baltimore Fire Department said there is cargo hanging from the remaining structure of the bridge, possibly from the Dali. The situation remains critical with the remaining sections of the bridge considered dangerous and unstable. The bridge was built in 1977 crossing the Patapsco River near the entrance to the harbor.
Built in 2015, the vessel is registered in Singapore. It is currently operating under charter to Maersk and was outbound for Colombo, Sri Lanka. Maersk issued a statement reporting it was closely following developments. It said that no Maersk personnel were aboard the vessel.
Baltimore is the ninth-largest port in the U.S. and one of the major East Coast destinations for containers and autos. In 2023, Baltimore handled more than 52 million tons of cargo. The port appears to be blocked at this time.
