In March of this year, a tragic incident occurred in Baltimore when a container ship, the Dali, struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge, resulting in the deaths of six people. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released a preliminary report stating that two power failures caused the ship to lose propulsion and collide with the bridge. The crew of the ship attempted to avoid the collision by dropping anchor, but it was too late. The impact caused the bridge to collapse and fall into the Patapsco River, resulting in extensive damage and loss of life.
Prior to the collision, the Dali had experienced a blackout ten hours earlier during maintenance. The connection between this earlier blackout and the subsequent power failures that led to the accident is still under investigation. The NTSB report noted that it is rare for a ship of that size to lose power in such a narrow channel near a major bridge. The incident was captured on video, showing the moments leading up to the collision, with cars and trucks on the bridge just before impact. Quick action by the crew and ground support likely prevented an even higher casualty count.
Search and rescue efforts spanned several weeks, eventually recovering the bodies of all six construction workers who were on the bridge at the time of the collapse. Both the NTSB and the FBI launched investigations into the incident, while the city of Baltimore filed a legal claim against the ship’s owner and manager, alleging negligence and liability for the collapse. The ship was owned by Grace Ocean Private Ltd. and managed by Synergy Marine Pte Ltd. Both companies expressed sympathy for the victims and their families but declined to comment on the cause of the accident pending ongoing investigations and legal proceedings.
Maersk, the Danish shipping giant that chartered the Dali, also expressed condolences for those affected by the tragedy and announced plans to conduct its own investigation. The company emphasized that it did not own or operate the vessel involved in the collision. On Monday, a section of the bridge that had fallen onto the container ship was dismantled using precision explosive charges, allowing the vessel to be freed. The unprecedented maritime disaster has raised questions about safety protocols, maintenance procedures, and oversight in the shipping industry, prompting a thorough investigation to determine the root causes of the accident and prevent similar incidents in the future.
