Do you remember the terrible accident in Baltimore? Seven weeks have passed, more than a month since the cargo ship crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge, the bridge that then collapsed. Starting from that March 26th the investigative machine was set in motion and from the investigations of the National Transportation Safety Board it emerges that the vessel had two blackouts when it was anchored in the port before the accident. The energy was therefore also lacking in the moments preceding the crash. But there is an even more relevant detail: 21 crew members are still stuck on board the ship that hit the Baltimore bridge. They are shipwrecked in reverse.
Baltimore bridge collapsed, 21 sailors still on board the ship since the day of the accident
The men must remain on board due to visa restrictions, a lack of shore passes and two ongoing investigations. The sailors remain on the merchant ship responsible for the disaster. On Monday, the Dali, as the vessel is called, was finally detached from a gigantic piece of deck that fell onto the bow of the ship. However, the BBC reports that 21 Indian and Sri Lankan sailors are trapped on board for several reasons.
Bridge collapse in Baltimore: the floating crane arrives to remove the debris
Crew members are reportedly required to remain on board due to visa restrictions, a lack of shore passes, and two ongoing investigations by the FBI and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Additionally, authorities say the crew is keeping busy by continuing to operate the large cargo ship. Over the past two months, these 21 sailors have witnessed a bridge collapse (on top of them), bodies being recovered from the Patapsco River, and a controlled explosion right off the front of their vessel. Seven very hard weeks that aren’t over yet.
On Monday, authorities freed the Dali from a huge metal cage and floor that had surrounded the ship for seven weeks due to small explosions. The procedure is called “precision cutting” and involves using small explosive charges to divide the collapsed portion of the bridge into more manageable sections. The BBC reports that Dali’s crew had to remain below decks in the ship’s hull with a fire crew on standby.
Baltimore Bridge, the latest explosion completes the demolition after the March 26 accident
«They are part of the ship. They are necessary to keep the ship staffed and operational,” US Coast Guard Admiral Shannon Gilreath told the BBC. “They themselves are the best rescuers on board the ship.”
The sailors had their cell phones confiscated by the FBI. The head of a non-profit organization that protects seafarers’ rights tells the BBC that crew members throughout this long period have been unable to pay bills or send funds home to their families. They are experiencing strong, understandable, emotional stress.
Authorities reportedly shipped large quantities of food and supplies on board for the 21 crew members. There were originally 23 members on the Dali, but it appears that two managed to get off. The remaining crew also received care packages from private groups as well, including batches of Indian snacks, handmade quilts and puzzles to pass the time that has stretched beyond measure and still seems long, interminable. Some crew members also fear being held personally responsible for the disaster.
Baltimore, the last moments of the Dali ship in the black box: the desperate attempt to drop anchor and save itself
Darrel Wilson, a spokesman for Synergy Marine, Dali’s Singapore-based management company, told the BBC he was unable to provide a timeline for the crew’s disembarkation from the ship at this time. Once the ship is fully refloated, tugboats will tow the Dali to the Port of Baltimore. There, the ship is expected to remain docked for several weeks for repairs. And the sailors? They will (still) remain on board.
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