The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating electrical issues on the Dali container ship as a potential cause of its crash into Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge.
According to the Washington Post, NTSB board chair Jennifer Homendy indicated that a connection is suspected between the ship’s loss of power, as shown in videos before the crash, and its course deviation into the bridge. Hyundai, the manufacturer of the ship’s engine-room equipment, is collaborating with investigators to examine the ship’s electrical power system.
The committee’s chair, Sen. Maria Cantwell, paid tribute to them and questioned Homendy about the incident. Homendy mentioned that the Dali lost power to its engines and electrical system before the collision, suggesting a link between the electrical issues and the loss of control of the ship. The investigation is ongoing, and a preliminary report is expected in the first week of May.
Maryland Governor Wes Moore and the incident response team also provided an update on the cleanup efforts. Salvagers are working to lift containers from the ship’s bow to access and remove the fallen bridge trusses. Meanwhile, dive teams are evaluating the removal of steel wreckage from the main channel, some of which has embedded in the riverbed, Washington Post reports.
