On Tuesday morning, a giant container ship struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, causing most of the bridge to collapse into the Patapsco River. Governor Wes Moore of Maryland declared a state of emergency following the incident, as the bridge is a critical transportation link on the Eastern Seaboard to one of the largest ports in the country. The vessel traffic has been halted, and search and rescue efforts for the six missing construction workers who are presumed dead have been suspended. Governor Moore stated that there is no credible evidence of a terrorist attack, and the priority is now the search operation being led by the Coast Guard to find anyone who may have been on the bridge at the time of the accident.
The cause of the ship striking the bridge is currently under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board. The 985-foot-long cargo vessel, The Dali, was leaving the Port of Baltimore when it lost power and issued a mayday call before hitting a critical component of the bridge. Radio traffic suggested that the crew was struggling to steer the ship, with most of the ship’s lights going dark moments before the impact. Baltimore harbor pilots were directing the ship during the crash, as per the standard procedure for vessels entering ports or canals. Governor Moore confirmed that the bridge was up to code and that there were no apparent structural issues that led to the collapse.
Coast Guard and state police officials have confirmed that the six missing construction workers are presumed dead, citing cold water temperatures and the amount of time that has passed since the incident. Two workers were rescued from the water, with one being hospitalized and released. Among the missing men was an immigrant from El Salvador, Miguel Luna, who has been living in Maryland for at least 19 years. The Dali, the vessel involved in the incident, was registered in Singapore and was en route to Sri Lanka with 4,700 shipping containers. The ship has had inspections over the past few years, with the only deficiency being reported in 2016 for a damaged hull.
The construction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge began in 1972 and was completed in 1977, spanning 1.6 miles over the Patapsco River. The overall structure of the bridge, including its connecting approaches, measures almost 11 miles in total. Engineers have speculated that the collapse could have been avoided if protective devices such as fenders were installed on the bridge’s pylons. President Biden has indicated that the federal government will cover the cost of rebuilding the bridge and has called on Congress to support funding efforts for the repairs. The incident has raised concerns about the safety of aging infrastructure and the need for better protective measures to prevent similar accidents in the future.
