Crews sent out an emergency signal before the impact of the 2.5-kilometer-long bridge, which collapsed massively, after which local authorities stopped vehicular traffic. “You saved lives last night,” Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said Tuesday. He called the crew “heroes.” The nearly 300-metre-long ship approached the pier of the bridge at “very, very high speed”.
The steel structure collapsed into the river
The clash took place around 1.30am local time. Several vehicles were submerged in the Patapsco River. The bridge pier that was struck first collapsed, then the entire steel structure bent in a tidal motion and parts fell into the river.
Baltimore: Bridge collapses
Video footage taken from a helicopter shows the extent of the bridge collapse in the US city of Baltimore. Meanwhile, the search for the missing persons continues. The water temperature is only nine degrees Celsius. According to officials, at least seven vehicles fell into the river.
Two people were rescued from the cold water, one of them in critical condition. 6 others are missing. The construction workers were working to repair potholes on the road when the accident took place.
The crew reported electrical issues
As it left port, the ship's propulsion stopped, ABC News reported, citing unclassified US intelligence documents. The crew signaled a distress signal to the authorities that the vessel was unable to operate.
Moore said there was an electrical problem on board. Video footage shows how the freighter's lights went out two minutes before it crashed into the bridge pier.
“A preliminary investigation has revealed an accident. “We have no concrete evidence of a terrorist attack,” Moore said. A representative of the Federal Police FBI issued a similar statement. There is no concrete or credible information that the incident is terror related.
Shipping company “horrified”
The vessel is a container vessel named “Dally”, operated by charter company Grace Ocean Pvt and chartered by Danish shipping company Marsal. “Dally” sails under the flag of Singapore.
COLE (ORF): Priority is given to searching for missing persons
ORF correspondent Christoph Kohl reports, among other things, how great the chances of survival of the missing are. He also talks about the impact of the missing bridge on the Baltimore area.
The freighter, bound for Colombo, Sri Lanka from the Port of Baltimore, had set off on a scheduled 27-day voyage 30 minutes before the accident. “We are appalled by what happened in Baltimore,” Maersk said in a statement.
All crew members, including the two captains, are doing well and there were no injuries on board, the shipping company said in a statement. The cause of the accident is yet to be determined and the vessel's owners are cooperating with authorities. The cruise operator said no pollution was left in the river as a result of the collision. In 2016, the Daly ship sank in the port of Antwerp in Belgium.
Biden promises quick help
US President Joe Biden spoke of a “terrible accident” and vowed to get the vital port on the US East Coast back up and running as soon as possible. The bridge will be restored as quickly as possible, but it will take some time, Biden said.
Minister looks at supply chain problem
The decline also has economic consequences, according to Transportation Secretary Buttigieg. Because of the port's importance behind it, we're already preparing for supply chain issues, “which we knew were coming,” Buttigieg said. These would affect “the entire American economy,” not just the Baltimore area. Following the incident, the responsible port authority has suspended shipping until further notice.
Transshipment point for car transport
Baltimore is the busiest U.S. port for automobile traffic. According to the Maryland government, nearly 850,000 cars and light trucks will be handled there by 2023. Auto companies that handle imports and exports through Baltimore include Toyota, General Motors and Volkswagen. More than 40 ships had to remain in port after the collapse.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge spans the Patapsco as part of Interstate 695 southeast of Baltimore City. It opened in 1977 in an industrial and port city on the US East Coast and served more than twelve million crossings in the previous year.
