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Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse

Coordinates: 39°13′1″N 76°31′42″W / 39.21694°N 76.52833°W / 39.21694; -76.52833
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Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse
Photograph of the ship involved
Dali following the collapse
DateMarch 26, 2024; 7 months ago (2024-03-26)
Time01:27 (EDT)
LocationBaltimore metropolitan area, Maryland, United States
Coordinates39°13′1″N 76°31′42″W / 39.21694°N 76.52833°W / 39.21694; -76.52833
TypeBridge collapse
CauseLoss of propulsion on ship, leading to collision with pillar and subsequent collapse of the bridge truss.[1]
Non-fatal injuriesAt least 1[2]
Missing6[3]
Property damage
  • Collapse of bridge spans
  • Fire and allision-related damage to Dali
  • At least 7 vehicles submerged

On March 26, 2024, at 01:27 EDT (05:27 UTC), the main spans of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in the Baltimore metropolitan area, Maryland, United States, collapsed after the container ship Dali struck one of its support pillars.[4][5][6]

Baltimore City Fire Department officials said that at least seven vehicles fell into the water.[7] Two people were recovered from the river; one declined medical treatment while the other was transported to a hospital in critical condition. At least six people are believed missing.[3]

Background

Main articles: Francis Scott Key Bridge (Baltimore) and MV Dali
The bridge before the collision (seen in 2015), looking upstream. Dali hit the fourth pillar from left.[8]

The Francis Scott Key Bridge, originally the Outer Harbor Crossing, was a steel arch-shaped continuous-through-truss bridge. It opened in 1977 and spanned the Patapsco River, a vital shipping route in the Port of Baltimore.[9] The shipping route is one of the busiest in the United States; [10] it handled more than 444,000 passengers as well as 52.3 million tons of foreign cargo valued at $80 billion in 2023.[11] The bridge was also part of Interstate 695, a beltway around Baltimore.[9] The bridge was 1.6 miles (2.6 km) long and carried four lanes, two in each direction,[2] carrying an average of around 34,000 vehicles a day.[10]

Dali is a container ship built in 2015 with a length of 980 feet (300 m), a 157-foot (48 m) beam, and a 40-foot (12.2 m) draught.[12] In 2016, it struck its berth in the Port of Antwerp and required repair, although there were no injuries.[13] Registered in Singapore and owned by a Greek shipping company,[14] Dali had previously traveled from Panama to the U.S., arriving in New York on March 19, 2024, before arriving in Baltimore on March 23.[15] As of March 26, it was being chartered by Maersk.[15] The 22 members of the ship's crew on board were Indian nationals,[16] and the ship was being piloted by two local maritime pilots.[8]

The main shipping channel under the bridge was estimated to be 50 feet (15 m) deep, while National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) charts show the depth at the bridge supports to be approximately 30 feet (9.1 m) deep.[17] The NOAA reported a water temperature of 47 °F (8 °C) at the time of the collapse.[9]

Collapse

Dali left the Port of Baltimore at 00:44 EDT on March 26, 2024,[18] bound for Colombo, Sri Lanka.[19] Shortly afterwards, the vessel, which had two pilots embarked,[9] reportedly notified the Maryland Department of Transportation that they had lost control of the vessel and an allision with the bridge was possible, citing a loss of propulsion.[1] A mayday was issued, which allowed traffic crossing the bridge to be halted.[4][20][21] The ship's lights were seen to go out and then come on again some moments later, just prior to the allision. Smoke was also seen coming from Dali in the leadup to the collision.[8] The ship also dropped its anchors as part of emergency procedures.[22] At 01:27,[23] the ship struck a support column of the bridge at a speed of 8 knots (15 km/h).[11] The bridge strike and partial collapse were recorded on video.[24] AIS data shows the ship traveling at a speed of 8.7 knots (16.1 km/h) at 01:25 before departing the channel and slowing to 6.8 knots (12.6 km/h) by time of the allision two minutes later.[original research?]

The bridge broke apart in several places,[25] leaving sections of it protruding from the water and the roadway's approaches cut off where the spans began. Dali caught fire,[9] and a section of the bridge came to rest on the tip of its bow,[2] rendering it stationary.[26] A Baltimore City Fire Department spokesperson said vehicles were on the bridge at the time it collapsed, including one that was the "size of a tractor-trailer".[9] A Maryland Transportation Authority representative on scene told rescuers that at least 20 workers were repairing potholes on the bridge at the time of the collapse.[24] Paul Wiedefeld, the Maryland Secretary of Transportation, said that there were contractors undertaking concrete deck repair on the bridge at the time of the collapse.[27] A resident living near the bridge recalled being awakened by deep rumbling that shook his residence for several seconds following the collapse, which he said "felt like an earthquake."[11]

Emergency teams began receiving 911 calls at 01:30.[2] The Baltimore Police Department was alerted to the collapse at 01:35. Mayor of Baltimore Brandon Scott said that emergency personnel were on scene[28] and that he was en route to the site.[29] Large-scale rescue and recovery efforts were initiated.[24] The U.S. Coast Guard deployed boats and a helicopter as part of rescue efforts.[2] Rescue divers were also dispatched to search for people who fell in the river.[30] A total of 50 divers divided into eight teams were deployed in rescue efforts.[22]

Casualties

At a press conference at 06:30 EDT, Baltimore Fire Chief James Wallace said that at least two people were rescued from the river, one of whom was in "very serious" condition, while another person was said to have walked off with no injuries.[31] At least six people were reported missing.[2][32]

Wallace also said that sonar had detected submerged vehicles in the river, adding that emergency services were also using drones and infrared technology in search efforts.[33] At around 10:55, Wallace confirmed that five vehicles on the river bed had been marked using infrared and side-scan sonar technology.[23]

Synergy Marine Group, which operates Dali, said that the ship's crew, including its two pilots, had been accounted for and did not sustain any injuries, adding that there was no pollution following the incident.[34]

Investigation

Members of the FBI Evidence Response Team examine a segment of the collapsed bridge

The National Transportation Safety Board announced that an official investigation had been launched and that it was sending a team to the site.[35][36] The Federal Bureau of Investigation was also deployed to the scene, but said that terrorism was not suspected in the incident.[9]

Aftermath

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said that he was in contact with Maryland Governor Wes Moore and Mayor Scott to offer the department's support and advised drivers to follow detour routes.[37] Moore subsequently declared a state of emergency due to the disaster.[2] Wiedefeld ordered the suspension of all shipping to and from the Port of Baltimore[38] until further notice, although land facilities were to remain open to trucking.[9]

Roads leading into Baltimore via routes in the vicinity of the bridge were closed.[39] Vehicle traffic was able to cross the river via the Fort McHenry and Baltimore Harbor tunnels, although vehicles carrying hazardous loads are not permitted.[8] Advisories were issued to motorists as far away as Virginia warning of traffic delays caused by the bridge collapse.[11] The disaster also blocked maritime access to the Port of Baltimore and trapped several vessels inside the harbor.[8]

At 08:09, the Federal Aviation Administration announced the establishment of a temporary flight restriction around the area of the bridge collapse effective from 08:15, also applying to drones.[40] President Joe Biden was also briefed on the disaster.[9] In an address later that day, Biden said that he would ask Congress to fund the bridge's reconstruction.[41]

Maersk, which chartered the vessel, saw its shares decline by about 2% when trading opened at Nasdaq Copenhagen on March 26.[9] At 11:28, Maersk executives said the company was pausing all service to Baltimore for the foreseeable future.[23]

Structural aspects

The allision of the Dali with the southern main truss-support pillars is believed to have brought down the entire truss span,[citation needed] which saw the pillars being destroyed by the impact.[42] Furthermore, as a continuous truss bridge that relies on its overall structure to maintain integrity, when the south and central spans collapsed, the northern component (the third span) soon followed.[24] Each failure sequence took seconds, and within 30 seconds the entirety of the central span had fallen into the river.[43]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "What we know about Baltimore Key Bridge collapse as seven people still missing". The Independent. March 26, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Rescuers are searching for multiple people in the water after Baltimore bridge collapse, report says". CNN. March 26, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Baltimore Key Bridge: Rescuers searching river after Baltimore bridge collapse". BBC News. March 26, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024. (14:15 UTC) Six people are unaccounted for, officials tell reporters. This is down from a previous report of seven.
  4. ^ a b Alonso, Melissa; Wolfe, Elizabeth (March 26, 2024). "Rescuers are searching for at least 7 people in the water after Baltimore bridge collapse, official says". CNN. Archived from the original on March 26, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  5. ^ "Part of Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapses after being hit by large ship; cars in water". CBS News. March 26, 2024. Archived from the original on March 26, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  6. ^ Yoon, John (March 26, 2024). "Cargo Ship Hits Key Bridge in Baltimore, Triggering Partial Collapse". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 26, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  7. ^ Wells, Ciara (March 26, 2024). "Part of Key Bridge in Baltimore collapses after large boat collision, vehicles submerged". WTOP. Archived from the original on March 26, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  8. ^ a b c d e "Baltimore Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse: What we know about ship and bridge". BBC News. March 26, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Skene, Lea (March 26, 2024). "Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapses after ship struck it, sending vehicles into water". Associated Press. Archived from the original on March 26, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  10. ^ a b "Major US bridge collapses as cargo ship plows into pylon". France 24. March 26, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  11. ^ a b c d "Baltimore bridge collapses after powerless cargo ship rams into support column; 6 people are missing". Associated Press. March 26, 2024.
  12. ^ "DALI, Container Ship - Details and current position - IMO 9697428 - VesselFinder". www.vesselfinder.com.
  13. ^ "VIDEO: Mega container ship Dali Allided with berth at Port of Antwerp". www.vesselfinder.com. Vessel Finder. July 14, 2016. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  14. ^ "DALI, Container ship, IMO 9697428". Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  15. ^ a b Moses, Claire; Gross, Jenny (March 26, 2024). "The Dali was just starting a 27-day voyage". Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  16. ^ "Baltimore bridge: All Indian crew on container ship that brought Baltimore bridge down - The Economic Times". m.economictimes.com. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  17. ^ "Chart 12281". NOAA Chart 12281. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  18. ^ "Baltimore Key Bridge: Rescuers searching river after Baltimore bridge collapse". BBC News. March 26, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  19. ^ Kassam, Ashifa (March 26, 2024). "Baltimore Key Bridge collapse: vehicles fall into water after being hit by ship". The Guardian. Archived from the original on March 26, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  20. ^ "Baltimore bridge collapses after powerless cargo ship rams into support column; 6 people are missing". Boston Herald. Associated Press. March 26, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  21. ^ Live Updates: 6 People Are Missing in Baltimore Bridge Collapse The New York Times
  22. ^ a b "Cargo ship lost power before colliding with Baltimore bridge; 6 remain missing after collapse". CNN. March 26, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  23. ^ a b c "Live updates: Baltimore Key bridge collapses after ship collision". CNN. March 26, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  24. ^ a b c d "LIVE: Rescuers search for missing after ship destroys Baltimore bridge". BBC News. March 26, 2024. Archived from the original on March 26, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  25. ^ "Baltimore bridge collapses after cargo ship collision". France 24. March 26, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  26. ^ "Baltimore Key Bridge collapse, in pictures". BBC. March 26, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  27. ^ Ebrahimji, Alisha; Regan, Helen; Magramo, Kathleen; Radford, Antoinette Radford (March 26, 2024). "Baltimore Key Bridge collapses after ship collision: Live updates". CNN. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  28. ^ Smith, Patrick (March 26, 2024). "Major bridge in Maryland collapses after being hit by a ship". NBC News. Archived from the original on March 26, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  29. ^ Regan, Helen (March 26, 2024). "Baltimore bridge collapses after ship collision". CNN News. Archived from the original on March 26, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  30. ^ Shalvey, Kevin (March 26, 2024). "Ship strikes Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge causing partial collapse, Maryland officials say". ABC News. Archived from the original on March 26, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  31. ^ Ng, Greg (March 26, 2024). "'Key Bridge is gone': Ship strike destroys bridge, state of emergency declared". WBAL. Archived from the original on March 26, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  32. ^ Loh, Matthew; Syme, Pete; Friel, Mikhaila; Jankowicz, Mia. "What we know about the container ship that crashed into the Baltimore bridge". Business Insider. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  33. ^ "Live updates: Baltimore Key bridge collapses after ship collision". CNN. March 26, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  34. ^ "'DALI', Francis Scott Key Bridge Incident". Synergy Marine Group. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  35. ^ @NTSB_Newsroom (March 26, 2024). "NTSB is launching a go team to investigate the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. Media briefing to be held later today at a time and location TBD, which will be announced on this feed" (Tweet). Retrieved March 26, 2024 – via Twitter.
  36. ^ "Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse live updates: Ship hits major Baltimore bridge with construction crew on it". NBC News. March 26, 2024.
  37. ^ Buttigieg, Pete [@SecretaryPete] (March 26, 2024). "I've spoken with Gov. Moore and Mayor Scott to offer USDOT's support following the vessel strike and collapse of the Francis Scott Key bridge. Rescue efforts remain underway and drivers in the Baltimore area should follow local responder guidance on detours and response" (Tweet). Retrieved March 26, 2024 – via Twitter.
  38. ^ "Containership Hits Baltimore Bridge Causing Collapse and Casualties". The Maritime Executive.
  39. ^ Cai, Weiyi; Chang, Agnes; Leatherby, Lauren (March 26, 2024). "How the Key Bridge Collapsed in Baltimore: Maps and Photos". The New York Times. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  40. ^ "4/1803 NOTAM Details". tfr.faa.gov. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  41. ^ "Biden pledges support for Baltimore in wake of Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse". ABC News. March 26, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  42. ^ "Major Baltimore bridge collapses after being hit by ship". BBC News. March 26, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  43. ^ Cai, Weiyi; Chang, Agnes; Leatherby, Lauren (March 26, 2024). "How the Key Bridge Collapsed in Baltimore: Maps and Photos". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
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