Baltimore bridge collapse: A major bridge in Baltimore snapped and collapsed sending several people and vehicles into the river below after a container ship DALI struck into it. The Shipping company Synergy Maritime Group which managed the Singapore-flagged freight ship in a statement on Tuesday said the entire 22 member crew of the vessel are Indians. The vessel was “outbound from Baltimore to Colombo” in Sri Lanka. The 985-foot-long (300-meter-long) vessel struck one of the 1.6-mile (2.6-kilometer) bridge’s supports, causing the span to break and fall into the water within seconds.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge was one of three ways to cross the Baltimore Harbor and handled 31,000 cars per day or 11.3 million vehicles a year.
According to the The Maryland state police, currently, six people who were missing after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed have been presumed dead. Jeffrey Pritzker, executive vice president of Brawner Builders, said they were working in the middle of the span when it came apart, as reported by Associated Press.
How Indian crew of DALI ship saved 100s of lives
Maryland Governor Wes Moore said that the container ship, before colliding with the Baltimore Bridge, made a ‘mayday’ call which prompted officials to stop traffic and evacuate people on the bridge, the New York Times reported citing several federal and Maryland officials. Despite the power loss, “the ship still headed toward the span at “a very, very rapid speed,” Maryland Gov. Wes Moore added. Speaking on what caused the incident, Moore added that the container ship had suffered a loss of power. “We can confirm that the crew notified authorities of a power issue,” Moore was quoted by news agency AFP as saying.
Joe Biden lauds Indian crew members
US President Joe Biden lauded the prompt action by personnel on board the cargo ship ‘Dali’. During his comments at the White House regarding the Baltimore bridge collapse, Biden said, “Personnel on board the ship were able to alert the Maryland Department of Transportation that they had lost control of their vessel prompting the local authorities to close the bridge to traffic before the catastrophic was impact, a move which “undoubtedly” saved lives.”
Maryland Governor Wes Moore also said the crew’s quick alert had saved lives. “We can confirm that the crew notified authorities of a power issue. These people are heroes. We’re thankful that between the Mayday and the collapse we had officials who were able to begin to stop the flow of traffic. These people are heroes. They saved lives last night,” Moore told AFP.
Baltimore bridge collapse impact
The collapse of the bridge will almost create a logistical nightmare for months, if not years, in the region, shutting down ship traffic at the Port of Baltimore, a major shipping hub. The accident will also snarl cargo and commuter traffic. The port is a major East Coast hub for shipping. The bridge spans the Patapsco River, which massive cargo ships use to reach the Chesapeake Bay and then the Atlantic Ocean. Earlier US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg told ANI that, “This is no ordinary bridge. This is one of the cathedrals of American infrastructure. It has been part of the skyline of this region for longer than many of us have been alive. So the path to normalcy will not be easy. It will not be quick, and it will not be inexpensive, but we will build together in order to make sure that happens,” he said. President Joe Biden said that he expects the federal government to pick up the entire cost of rebuilding the bridge. However, the collapse of the bridge is not expected to have a significant impact on global trade, according to Judah Levine, head of research at global freight booking platform Freightos, who told the AP that while Baltimore is not a major port for container vessels, its facilities are more significant for goods like cars and farm equipment.
(With inputs from ANI, AP, AFP)
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Published: 27 Mar 2024, 12:59 PM IST
Vikram Sharma is a globe-trotting journalist with a global perspective on international events. His articles offer readers a global perspective on international events, exploring complex geopolitical issues and providing insights into the world’s most pressing challenges.
