Worst accident in 44 years! Container ship collapses US bridge

A container ship chartered by Maersk collided with a bridge in Maryland, USA, causing the worst bridge collapse in the US in 44 years, resulting in at least six deaths and an estimated $600 million in reconstruction costs. The ship lost power before the collision.

At 1:27 AM EST on March 26, the container ship "Dali" (built in 2015) collided with a pier of the Francis Scott Key Bridge during pilotage, causing multiple sections of the truss bridge to collapse. Parts of the bridge are submerged, and road ramps are severed.

The Francis Scott Key Bridge is a steel arch continuous truss bridge located in Baltimore, Maryland, spanning the lower Patapsco River and the Baltimore Harbor/Port. The main thoroughfare is Maryland Route 695. With a main span of 1200 feet (366 meters), it is the third longest continuous truss bridge in the world and the longest bridge in the Baltimore metropolitan area.

Opened on March 23, 1977, it is named after Francis Scott Key, the author of the US national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner." The 8636-foot (2632-meter) long bridge carries four lanes of Interstate 695, with approximately 34,000 vehicles crossing daily, an estimated 11.5 million vehicles annually.

The "Dali" departed Baltimore Harbor at 00:44 local time, heading for Colombo, Sri Lanka. Shortly after, the crew informed the Maryland Department of Transportation that they had "lost control of the vessel" and that a collision with the bridge was imminent due to loss of power. The crew's distress call before the collision allowed authorities to prevent more vehicles from traveling on the bridge.

Vessel tracking data shows that after setting sail, the ship maintained a straight course southeast along the Patapsco River, with its speed steadily increasing to 8.7 knots at 1:25 AM local time. It then deviated from its course, colliding with the bridge two minutes later at a reduced speed of 6.8 knots. Before the accident, the lights on the ship flickered on and off, and smoke began to emanate from the ship's smokestack.

The Baltimore Police Department received a report of the bridge collapse at 1:35 AM local time. Mayor Brandon Scott stated that emergency responders had arrived at the scene. The US Coast Guard deployed vessels and a helicopter for rescue operations. Rescue divers were also dispatched to search for people who had fallen into the river; 50 divers were divided into 8 teams for the rescue.

Baltimore City Fire Department personnel, in an interview with US media, described it as a "mass casualty incident." Several vehicles were on the bridge at the time of the accident, including a large tractor-trailer. Additionally, contractors were performing concrete deck repairs on the bridge, with at least 20 workers present. The water depth under the bridge is estimated at 50 feet (15 meters), with a water temperature of 47 °F (8 °C) reported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Baltimore City Fire Chief James Wallace revealed at a press conference on the morning of March 26 that at least two people had been rescued from the river, one with "very serious injuries" and the other uninjured. Sonar detected submerged vehicles in the river. Emergency services used drones and infrared technology in the search; Wallace confirmed that infrared and sonar technology had marked five vehicles on the riverbed.

The final casualty count is still uncertain; at least seven vehicles are reported to have fallen into the water. The BBC reported that the US Coast Guard has confirmed six missing persons presumed dead, all of whom were construction workers on the bridge. The focus is shifting from search and rescue to salvage operations, but the scene is hazardous, with twisted bridge metal and shipping containers scattered across the Patapsco River.

US media reported that this is the worst bridge collapse in the US in 44 years, since the Sunshine Skyway Bridge collapse in Florida on March 9, 1980, which resulted from a collision with a freighter and claimed 35 lives.

Given that the accident occurred early Tuesday morning, it is likely to cause significant disruption to shipping and road traffic in Baltimore Harbor, one of the busiest ports on the US East Coast.

Following the accident, Maryland Governor Wes Moore declared a state of emergency. The Maryland Transportation Authority issued alerts on social media warning drivers not to use Interstate 695. Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld ordered a suspension of all shipping to and from the port until further notice.

The accident blocked the maritime channel of Baltimore Harbor, trapping multiple vessels. It is understood that at least 21 vessels were moored west of the collapsed bridge, approximately half of which were tugboats. In addition, there were 3 bulk carriers, 1 car carrier, and 1 small oil tanker.

Data shows that Baltimore Harbor is the ninth largest trading port in the US and one of the highest-volume and -value ports in terms of cargo throughput. Last year, international bilateral trade volume was approximately 50 million tons, accounting for 3% of US total trade. Merchant ships can access Baltimore Harbor via the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

Baltimore is the largest car import port in the US, accounting for 15% of total US car imports; the second largest coal export port in the US, exporting 25 million tons in 2023, accounting for 30% of US total exports. It is also a significant container trade port (throughput accounts for approximately 2% of the US total) and a chemical trade port (approximately 2% of US imports).

As the largest port for cars and light trucks in the US, most imported Mercedes-Benz vehicles enter the US through Baltimore Harbor. According to data from the official Maryland website, Baltimore Harbor handled 847,158 cars and light trucks in 2023, ranking first among US ports for 13 consecutive years.

The "Dali," which caused the accident, is owned by the Singaporean company Grace Ocean and is chartered to Maersk. It flies the Singaporean flag and was built by Hyundai Heavy Industries in South Korea. Delivered in 2015, it is 299.94 meters long, 48.21 meters wide, has a draft of 14.50 meters, a gross tonnage of 94,730 tons, and a container capacity of 9962 TEU.

The "Dali" operates on routes between the US East Coast and East Asia. It arrived in New York/New Jersey on March 19 to unload cargo and then arrived at the Seagirt Marine terminal in Baltimore on March 24. After unloading a small number of containers, the ship departed Baltimore Harbor in the early morning of March 26, heading for Colombo, Sri Lanka, to return to Asia. It was scheduled to arrive in Sri Lanka on April 22.

A spokesperson for Synergy Marine, the ship's manager, stated that the "Dali" was carrying approximately 4900 containers at the time of the incident, and that company executives were en route to the scene to assess the situation.

According to an announcement released by Synergy Marine on March 26, there were 22 crew members aboard, all of Indian nationality, plus two pilots. All 24 individuals have been accounted for, with no reported casualties and no pollution resulting from the accident.

Maersk also issued a statement confirming that the "Dali" is a chartered vessel carrying Maersk cargo. Maersk stated that there were no Maersk crew or staff on board and that they are closely monitoring the investigation by the authorities and Synergy Marine, and will do their utmost to keep customers informed.

Maersk's statement said: "We are shocked by the events in Baltimore and we are with all those affected."

It is understood that following the accident, several containers from the "Dali" fell into the water, the hull above the waterline was damaged, and the hull was pierced by the bridge. However, the vessel remains watertight and is currently still at the scene.

The exact cause of the accident is currently unclear. The US National Transportation Safety Board announced that it has begun an investigation and dispatched a team to the scene. The US Federal Bureau of Investigation has also gone to the scene but stated there is no suspicion of terrorism. The Singapore Transport Safety Investigation Bureau and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore stated that their staff have gone to Baltimore to assist in the investigation.

Experts estimate that the reconstruction cost of the Francis Scott Key Bridge could reach $600 million (approximately RMB 4.337 billion). The bridge, built in the 1970s, cost approximately $60 million, but the reconstruction cost has increased due to the pressure of traffic and commuting and the need for swift completion.

Affected by the "Dali" incident, Maersk's share price fell by approximately 2% at the opening of the Copenhagen Nasdaq on March 26. Maersk executives stated that they will suspend all services to Baltimore for the foreseeable future.