Bridge collapses after being hit by a container ship in Baltimore

[I Am A Swede]

This is incredible.... One can't help but wonder, is it an accident, or something else?

https://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-us-canada-68663071?src_origin=BBCS_BBC

 

Edited March 26 by I Am A Swede

[janea4old]

https://www.baltimoresun.com/2024/03/26/key-bridge-collapses-into-patapsco/

Edited March 26 by janea4old

[Liberty City]

That's absolutely insane to me.

[DramatistDreamer]

As a general rule, I don’t make assumptions as to what could have caused this, but people need to be aware or keep in mind that the vast amount of bridges in the U.S. are in severe disrepair, meaning that, it would not take much for a collapse to occur. Hopefully everyone will be safe and no further injuries will ensue.

[janea4old]

Here's some excerpts I compiled from reports from The Baltimore Sun and The Washington Post:

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said the container ship "Dali" lost power and issued an emergency call for help shortly before the freighter crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge. The “mayday” distress call allowed officials to halt vehicle traffic headed over the bridge, Moore said.  “By being able to stop cars from coming over the bridge, these people are heroes. They saved lives,” he said. 
(The bridge was closed to traffic in the minutes *before* it collapsed.)

In the twitter video below, a few vehicles are seen traveling over the bridge. Apparently these were already on the bridge before the bridge was closed to traffic.  
 

It was not immediately clear how many vehicles were on the bridge at the time of the collapse. Search and rescue efforts continue.

The eight workers on the Francis Scott Key Bridge at the time it collapsed were repairing potholes, Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul J. Wiedefeld said during a news conference.  They were not working on structural issues.  Six of the workers remain unaccounted for; two were rescued, and one is hospitalized.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore has met with workers who were on the bridge at the time of the collapse and survived, according to a person familiar with the meeting. 

Baltimore Fire Chief James Wallace said in an interview Tuesday morning on CNN that sonar has revealed five vehicles on the bed of the Patapsco River. He said they include three passenger vehicles, a cement truck and one unknown vehicle. It’s unclear if anyone is inside those vehicles.

The owners of the cargo and of the ship communicated with the press and the authorities.  Everyone onboard the ship survived. 

https://www.baltimoresun.com/2024/03/26/key-bridge-collapses-into-patapsco/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/03/26/baltimore-key-bridge-collapse-maryland/

The ship was headed for Sri Lanka. They had planned on going around the southern end of South Africa, in order to avoid the current situation in the Red Sea and the Houthis.  Prior to leaving, the crew had taken on supplies for the 28-day voyage. 
https://www.baltimoresun.com/2024/03/26/dali-crew-apostleship-of-the-sea-key-bridge/

“Initial reports” suggest a harbor pilot and assistant who were on board reported “power issues, multiple alarms on the bridge, and the loss of propulsion prior to the incident,” the Coast Guard report said.  It added that the pilot will undergo “post-accident drug and alcohol testing.”  The NTSB will investigate.
https://www.baltimoresun.com/2024/03/26/baltimore-key-bridge-collapse-ntsb/

Officials have said that there is no evidence of any terrorist situation.

Video from the incident shows the container ship, billowing smoke, colliding with the bridge support, quickly causing much of the structure to collapse. Just before the collision, the ship’s lights appear to turn on and off multiple times.

I'm putting the video behind a spoiler tag, so you can choose to view or not view, as you see fit.
 

Please register in order to view this content

 

Edited March 26 by janea4old

[MichaelGL]

Remind me to never log onto social media during a national event such as this. Smh. 

Prayers to those who were on the bridge at the time of the incident. 

[DramatistDreamer]

Reading the actual details of how it happened and the cargo ship lost power before striking the bridge and causing the bridge’s collapse. Wow. I do wonder about the state of the bridge and its resiliency (or lack thereof). When I get the chance to read more in depth, maybe it will be more clear.