Baltimore key bridge collapses after ship collision

A bridge in Baltimore collapsed into the Patapsco River in the early hours of Tuesday (26) after being struck by a large container ship operated by Maersk.

The local fire department reported the presence of cars on the bridge at the time of the collision and that up to 20 people fell into the water due to the impact.

The Francis Scott Key Bridge is a major thoroughfare in Baltimore, connecting an interstate highway to the city’s port, one of the nation’s largest.

Video footage of the incident shows the ship hitting one of the bridge’s pillars, causing the structure to collapse into the river. A police official stated that the incident was being treated as a mass casualty event, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Maryland Governor Wes Moore declared a state of emergency on Tuesday morning.

“We are grateful for the brave men and women who are conducting rescue efforts for those involved, and we pray for everyone’s safety,” he said in a post on Twitter.

The Coast Guard authorities expect ripple effects on port operations due to the bridge’s collapse, causing the port to operate under special conditions for months. Approximately 800,000 vehicles passed through the port in 2023, which saw a throughput of three million tons of cargo.

The Maersk-operated cargo ship that collided with the bridge is named Dali and operates under the flag of Singapore. The vessel had departed from Baltimore bound for Sri Lanka and is now trapped beneath the bridge debris.

The ship is owned by Synergy Marine Group, which stated that the vessel had implemented its own emergency procedure, and the crew checked for any victims in the water. All crew members are safe, the company said.

Baltimore has one of the busiest ports on the East Coast of the United States, serving a large metropolitan area that includes Washington D.C. Serious collisions between ships and pieces of civilian infrastructure are rare events, especially those causing extensive damage and injuries.

The Francis Scott Key Bridge, named after the lawyer and poet who wrote the US national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner,” was opened to traffic in 1977 to alleviate Baltimore’s growing congestion.

Tuesday’s accident comes nearly a month after another cargo ship collided with a bridge in Guangzhou, southern China, killing five people.

Source: Valor Econômico

Click here to access the original news piece: https://valor.globo.com/mundo/noticia/2024/03/26/ponte-em-baltimore-cai-aps-navio-se-chocar-contra-estrutura.ghtml

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