Baltimore Bridge Collapse
At 1:30 am on March 26, a huge Singaporean cargo ship called the Dali slammed into a pillar supporting Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge. The ship was supposed to head under the wide opening of the bridge meant for large boats, but a blackout on the ship minutes before the crash caused a quick loss of engine power and the boat was no longer able to be controlled. Six people are presumed dead because of this horrible accident.
What caused the bridge to collapse?
The ship was only going at about nine miles per hour, but Dali’s 213 million pounds slammed into one of the bridge’s 47-year-old pillars, which took the rest of the bridge down with it. Due to the blackout on the ship, the pilot could only do so much to slow it down and keep it as far from the pillar as possible. The pilot notified authorities moments before the crash, and they quickly blocked off the bridge to prevent more vehicles from crossing. Maryland Governor Wes Moore called these workers “heroes. They saved lives.”
Who was affected by the accident?
Six people are presumed dead as a result of the collapse. Eight people were on the bridge when it fell, and at least two of them were safe. The people on the bridge were construction workers who were filling in potholes, but after the crash, they disappeared. The bodies of two of the victims were found on Wednesday morning: Alejandro Hernandez Fuentez, and Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera. Fuentez was a 35-year-old father of four from Mexico, and Cabrera was a 26-year-old from Guatemala, who came to America to pursue his dream and provide for his mother. Search and rescue efforts for the other four workers were complicated because of the dangerous conditions of the water and the debris, preventing divers from being able to scout for the remaining victims. According to NBC News, Shannon N. Gilreath, a Coast Guard Rear Admiral, said, “We do not believe we are going to find any of these individuals alive.” Governor Moore was heartbroken about this terrible disaster: “Our heart goes out to the families. I can’t imagine how painful today has been for these families.” This devastating loss is being felt all throughout Baltimore. As for the crew on the Dali, none of them were severely injured.
Was this an accident?
According to CNN, federal officials said that there was no evidence that the crash and collapse of the bridge were intentional acts of terrorism. It is clear that the blackout was a complete surprise that led to this major incident.
However, the ship was involved in a collision previously. Around eight years ago, the Dali hit a quay at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges in Belgium. The ship was fully repaired, so that damage should not have contributed to this accident at all.
Are there potential future dangers?
Fifty six containers of hazardous materials were identified on the Dali, according to an NTSB senior hazmat investigator. That includes flammables, corrosives, lithium-ion batteries, and other dangerous substances. Some of the containers were opened during the crash because there was a sheen on the waterway that indicates oils, but the type of oil has not been identified. The Coast Guard Vice Adm. Peter Gautier stated that there is no hazmat threat to the public. Only two of the ship's containers actually went overboard, and neither of them had dangerous materials.
Other routes are available for travel, so drivers can steer clear of the wreckage until authorities decide that the area is safe and the water is cleared of debris.
What’s next?
An investigation has been started to try to identify the exact cause of what happened to the Dali, and the construction of the bridge will be inspected. It is way too early to make an estimate on when the port will be opened again because that depends on statements from the US Army Corps of Engineers and others about the state of the water and the debris.
President Biden said he intends to help fix the bridge as soon as possible: “15,000 jobs depend on that port, and we are going to do everything we can to protect those jobs and help those workers.”
This port is extremely important from an economic standpoint, so officials and workers are going to do everything they can to get it up and running as quickly as possible.
By Ella Marks