Investigations and inquiries have begun into the catastrophic collision that took place in Baltimore on March 26, which resulted in casualties and the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
The incident
The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed on 26 March after being hit by the container ship MV Dali. The Singapore-flagged ship had departed Baltimore at 1 a.m. and was heading to Colombo, Sri Lanka. CCTV and marine tracking data show a sequence of events leading up to the collision, including a power loss for 60 seconds, black smoke emission, and a collision with the bridge at 01:28:44 local time.
The captain of the container ship involved in the Baltimore Harbor bridge collapse radioed for tugboat assistance and reported a power outage moments before the tragedy, as revealed by federal safety inspectors who referenced the ship’s “black box” data recorder.
After the incident, the bodies of two men were recovered Wednesday from the site of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore. Four people remain missing and are presumed dead.
Bridge structural vulnerability
The head of the National Transportation Safety Board highlighted that the Francis Scott Key Bridge lacks structural engineering redundancies present in newer bridges, making it more susceptible to a catastrophic collapse.
A safety inquiry into the Baltimore bridge collapse is underway to determine if tainted fuel might have contributed to the cargo ship’s power loss and subsequent collision.
The impact on Atlantic ports and global trade
Atlantic ports in the United States, including those in New York, New Jersey, and Virginia, are prepared to manage additional ships should the Baltimore bridge collapse disrupt terminals. Emily Stausbøll, an analyst at Xeneta, emphasized in an email to Reuters the critical importance of the speed at which ocean freight carriers can divert their ships, especially those already en route to Baltimore or waiting for export at the port.
