Six individuals are currently unaccounted for and presumed deceased following a container ship collision with the iconic Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, USA, resulting in its collapse. The US Coast Guard has ceased search operations and initiated recovery procedures. The collapse of the bridge, spanning over 2.6 kilometers (1.6 miles), occurred when the vessel struck a support structure.
Authorities attribute the incident to a “power issue” experienced by the ship, prompting a distress call just before the collision. A massive search and rescue operation, involving boats and helicopters, ensued to locate the missing individuals. Two individuals were rescued from the water, one of whom is in critical condition.
Rear Admiral Shannon Gilreath of the US Coast Guard stated in the evening that the remaining missing individuals are presumed deceased due to the temperature of the water and the duration they have been submerged.
The missing individuals were reportedly part of a construction crew engaged in repairing potholes on the bridge at the time of the collapse. Attention has now shifted to investigating the root cause of the incident, with a team of transportation safety experts preparing to board the vessel to retrieve its data recorder.
At 01:30 (05:30 GMT), the Singapore-flagged container ship named Dali collided with a support column of the 47-year-old bridge, resulting in its collapse. The vessel had departed from Port Breeze terminal around 00:45, en route to the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo.
According to an unclassified report from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, a US federal government agency, the ship experienced a “loss of propulsion” upon exiting the port. Subsequently, the crew alerted Maryland transport authorities about the potential collision.
Maryland Governor Wes Moore confirmed that authorities were notified of a power issue by the crew. The ship lost power before colliding with one of the bridge’s supporting columns, causing several vehicles, including one resembling a tractor-trailer, to plunge into the water below.
The rescue operation involves the Baltimore Fire Department, the US Coast Guard, and other Maryland state agencies. Baltimore Fire Chief James Wallace reported that two individuals were rescued, with one in critical condition and transported to a local trauma center.
Chief Wallace noted that the rescue operation was challenged by the tide, while local officials expressed concern about the freezing temperatures, with air temperatures hovering around 3°C (37.4°F) near the bridge.
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott characterized the incident as an “unimaginable tragedy,” emphasizing that the immediate focus should be on rescuing the individuals in the water. He stressed the importance of prioritizing lives above all else, stating, “there are people in the water that we have to get out, and that’s the only thing we should be talking about.”
Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld mentioned that engineers were present at the scene to assess the structural implications of the collapse.