A major bridge in Baltimore, the Francis Scott Key Bridge, collapsed on Tuesday, 26 March, after being hit by the container ship MV Dali.
Details of the bridge collapse incident
The Singapore-flagged containership involved in the incident, named Dali, had departed Baltimore at 1 a.m. and was headed to Colombo, Sri Lanka. Images on social media show the mangled wreckage of the bridge. CCTV and marine tracking data detail a sequence of events leading up to the collision. As the Dali approached the Francis Scott Key Bridge at 01:24:32 local time, it experienced a power loss for approximately 60 seconds.
Shortly after, the ship began emitting black smoke. The vessel lost power again about two minutes before the collision. Finally, at 01:28:44 local time, the Dali collided with the bridge, causing it to collapse just four seconds later.
Fortunately, the ship reported a power failure before impact, which enabled officials to stop traffic on the bridge before the collapse. As a result, authorities halted traffic on the bridge before the crash, likely preventing a higher death toll.
According to Reuters, rescuers pulled two survivors to safety, one of whom was hospitalized. Six workers, part of a work crew repairing potholes on the Francis Scott Key Bridge, are missing and presumed dead after being thrown into the frigid waters.
MV Dali’s safety record
The Singapore-flagged container ship involved in the Baltimore incident has been flagged with Singapore since October 2016 and is classed by the classification society ClassNK. The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore confirmed that the vessel’s required classification society and statutory certificates were valid at the time of the incident. Dali had passed two separate foreign port state inspections in June and September 2023.
The ship was cited in San Antonio, Chile, on June 27 for a deficiency related to “propulsion and auxiliary machinery.” This deficiency detailed issues with “gauges, thermometers, etc.” but did not result in detention. The recent incident in Baltimore raises concerns about a potential recurring issue with the vessel’s propulsion system.
However, this isn’t the first time DALI has been involved in a collision with city infrastructure while transporting goods. A similar, albeit less serious, incident occurred in 2016. DALI collided with a stone wall at a dock in Antwerp, Belgium, on July 11, 2016. The container ship sustained damage and was docked for repairs, but no injuries were reported, according to The New York Times. In contrast, the Baltimore incident has proven to be far more deadly, as confirmed by officials coordinating disaster response.
Impact of the bridge collapse on transportation and supply chains
According to Bloomberg, the bridge collapse in Baltimore will cause transportation disruptions in the Mid-Atlantic region and accelerate a shift of cargo to the US West Coast. Ryan Petersen, CEO of Flexport Inc., mentioned that companies have begun shifting volumes from the East Coast to the West Coast due to the Baltimore port closure, leading to congestion and delays.
Additionally, the event is likely to lead to legal wrangling and major claims activity, with reinsurers set to take a heavy hit.
Reactions and updates
President Joe Biden promised to visit Baltimore and expressed the federal government’s intent to pay for the bridge’s rebuilding. National Transportation Safety Board’s chair, Jennifer Homendy, stated that a team of 24 agency personnel were on the scene to investigate the accident, with Singapore safety personnel arriving in Baltimore on Wednesday.
