What caused the Baltimore Key Bridge to collapse?
A cargo ship struck one of the support columns of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, causing it to collapse.
On Tuesday, around 1:27am, a container ship crashed with one of the pillars supporting the Francis Scott Key Bridge in the city on the East Coast of the United States. Cars on the bridge collapsed into the Patapsco River, and at least six people are still missing.
As the ship was leaving port, it “lost propulsion” and the crew reported to Maryland authorities that they were no longer in control of the ship. An unclassified US intelligence report was referenced in the study.
According to Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld, the ship was being guided by local pilots rather than crew members at the time of the tragedy. These pilots are prepared to prevent mishaps like the one on Tuesday.
According to authorities, all 22 members of the Dali’s crew, including the two pilots, have been accounted for and no casualties have been reported.
It is an important section of the road network around Baltimore, an industrial metropolis northeast of the US capital, Washington, DC.
In 2023, over 12 million passenger and commercial vehicles crossed the bridge.
The port in Baltimore handles imports and exports for major manufacturers such as Nissan, Toyota, General Motors, Volvo, Jaguar and Land Rover, as well as agriculture and construction machinery, sugar, gypsum and coal.
Authorities said that six of the eight persons on the bridge at the time of the crash are still missing. They were repairing potholes on the bridge as part of a construction crew.
According to Baltimore City Fire Department spokeswoman Kevin Cartwright, many vehicles and possibly a tractor-trailer went into the river. He said that this is a multiagency, mass-casualty event and this operation will take several days to complete.
A person can lose coordinated hand and finger movements in less than 5 minutes, lose consciousness in 30 to 60 minutes and can likely swim only 7 to 40 minutes before exhaustion and die 1 to 3 hours even with flotation in the water temperatures Baltimore is experiencing, according to the University of Minnesota.
According to MarineTraffic, more than 40 ships remained in Baltimore’s harbor, including small cargo ships, tugboats and pleasure vessels. The vessel is in a steady state and is currently maintaining its position at the collision location.
Speaking from the White House, President Joe Biden highlighted that there was no indication of a deliberate act and promised a strong federal response to the fall.
The collapse will most likely cause months or maybe years of logistical havoc throughout the East Coast, blocking ship movement at the Port of Baltimore and causing congestion for commuters and goods.
