Before hitting the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, the crew of the cargo ship Dali noticed an engine malfunction. And she warned by launching a Mayday. The cargo ship sent the alarm, giving officials time to stop traffic and attempt an evacuation. Meanwhile, the US Coast Guard has announced that the six workers missing in the collapse are presumed dead. And he announces the suspension of the search for survivors. The six missing people were engaged in repair work. Among them are citizens of Guatemalan and Mexican origin. Investigators are also examining the thirteen damaged containers – some containing potentially dangerous materials – that were on board the ship.
Mayday
Among the damaged containers, “some with contents involving Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and/or hazardous materials (HAZMAT)” are being examined by an elite Coast Guard team, according to a note from the Federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. While the investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board, which will have to establish the dynamics that led the Dali to collide with the bridge, will probably also touch on the fatigue conditions of the ship’s crew. Grace Ocean owns 55 ships, according to Equasis, a public database of ship information. Dali had 22 crew members from India on board, according to a statement from Grace Ocean and Synergy Marine. Nobody was injured. Meanwhile, the US commanders’ association reports that the ship went into total blackout before impacting the bridge.
Total blackout
The pilot did “everything he could do” to slow the ship and keep it from drifting toward the bridge, said Clay Diamond, executive director and general counsel of the American Pilots Association. “A few minutes before the crash, there was a total blackout, meaning the ship lost engine power and electrical power,” he told CNN. Jeffrey Pritzker, executive vice president of Brawner Builders, said another worker is hospitalized. A colleague of theirs said the workers were on break at the time of the collapse and some were sitting inside their trucks.
20 seconds
The Baltimore bridge collapsed in 20 seconds after one of its central pylons was hit by the container ship, which was probably damaged as it left the port. The images show the white steel structure sagging and collapsing over the cargo ship and its mountain of colorful containers. The authorities have ruled out the possibility of a terrorist attack. “From the first investigations, it appears to be a terrible accident, there are no indications of intentional acts,” confirmed Joe Biden speaking live on TV from the White House. According to Maryland authorities, the ship had a power problem. In the images you can see the cargo emitting a column of dark smoke before impact. The power loss occurred for 60 seconds at 1.24 am (local time). Immediately afterwards the lights went out.
The Dali ship
The Dali hit the bridge at 1.28am, about half an hour after leaving the port of Baltimore. The bridge collapsed four seconds later. The cargo, flying the Singapore flag and bound for Sri Lanka, is owned by Grace Ocean Pte Ltd., while the Synergy Marine Group is the manager, which in turn had leased it from the Danish shipping giant Maersk.
Cover photo from: Reuters
