Baltimore, MD - Container Ship Strikes Francis Scott Key Bridge - Mass Casualty Situation

[newsrunner]

Baltimore bridge victims: Three of the six individuals still unaccounted for in the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore have been identified as Dorlian Castillo Cabrera, Maynor Yassir Suazo Sandoval, aged 30, from Honduras, and Miguel Luna, aged 49, from El Salvador.

All Baltimore Bridge Collapse Victims identified

Authorities has just called off the search and rescue mission in the cargo ship disaster.

channel3now.com

 

[DS2021]

Post in thread 'All Baltimore Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapse Victims identified' by newsrunner has been reported by DS2021. Reason given:

Can we move this to the main thread?

Content being reported:

Baltimore bridge victims: Three of the six individuals still unaccounted for in the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore have been identified as Dorlian Castillo Cabrera, Maynor Yassir Suazo Sandoval, aged 30, from Honduras, and Miguel Luna, aged 49, from El Salvador.

All Baltimore Bridge Collapse Victims identified

Authorities has just called off the search and rescue mission in the cargo ship disaster.

channel3now.com

 

[LadyL]

dbm

 

[iamshadow21]

ABC News Australia has done one of its multimedia articles about the bridge collapse.

It only took 30 seconds for Baltimore's largest bridge to collapse. Here's how the disaster unfolded

In less than half-an-hour, a cargo ship had left its port, suffered a power failure and destroyed Baltimore's Key Bridge. It was all captured on video.

www.abc.net.au

 

[iamshadow21]

This article by ABC News Australia is very interesting. It's talking about a bridge collapse in Hobart due to ship strike fifty years ago, and comparing it to yesterday's tragedy. In particular, I was very interested in how the difference in construction affected how the bridges collapsed - the Tasman Bridge only lost a span (but the ship was sunk), whereas the Key collapsed completely. Also, at the time of the Tasman disaster, having a pilot was somewhat optional, and the ship not using one was considered to be a factor in the disaster.

Reminders of Australia's own bridge catastrophe still sit on Hobart's riverbed

Memories of the fatal event that split Tasmania's capital city in two have been triggered as rescue efforts continue in Baltimore. Maritime workers reflect on lessons learnt from the 1975 tragedy.

www.abc.net.au

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Miguel Luna, 49, was one of the workers who tragically lost their life in result of the bridge collapse, his wife told Telemundo.

So far, Miguel Luna and Maynor Yassir Suazo Sandoval, have been the only two identified among the half-dozen presumed dead, according to reports.

And the death toll could be higher than those six, as Maryland State Police officials warned it’s possible motorists were also on the bridge when it crumbled into the Patapsco. Divers will resume their search at 6 a.m., Wednesday to look for bodies.

Maynor Suazo, 37, arrived in the United States in 2003 from Honduras and started working for the construction company last year, the Journal reported.

His brother, Carlos Suazo, said his loved one, the youngest of eight siblings, was cheerful and chatty and loved to host others. He would have a packed home every Christmas, Suazo told the publication.

“For my mom, I think this is the worst information she has ever received,” Carlos said while showing a photo of another brother in Honduras consoling their mother. “Maynor was her baby, the spoiled one.”

The family had not yet told Maynor’s 5-year-old daughter, Alexa, that her father was likely not coming home Tuesday night.

“She was glued to her dad. Her dad was everything to her,” Carlos told the Journal. “They haven’t told her anything. Just that her dad hasn’t arrived.”

6 workers presumed dead in Baltimore Key Bridge collapse described as hardworking family men from Mexico and Central America

The six construction workers now presumed dead after a major Baltimore bridge collapsed early Tuesday were hardworking fathers and family men from Mexico and Central American countries, according t…

nypost.com

 

[Dotta]

This article by ABC News Australia is very interesting. It's talking about a bridge collapse in Hobart due to ship strike fifty years ago, and comparing it to yesterday's tragedy. In particular, I was very interested in how the difference in construction affected how the bridges collapsed - the Tasman Bridge only lost a span (but the ship was sunk), whereas the Key collapsed completely. Also, at the time of the Tasman disaster, having a pilot was somewhat optional, and the ship not using one was considered to be a factor in the disaster.

Reminders of Australia's own bridge catastrophe still sit on Hobart's riverbed

Memories of the fatal event that split Tasmania's capital city in two have been triggered as rescue efforts continue in Baltimore. Maritime workers reflect on lessons learnt from the 1975 tragedy.

www.abc.net.au

How interesting!

Golden Rules - quoting:

1.
"River traffic rules –
including the stopping of bridge traffic while ships pass under,
and larger ships escorted by tugs.

('It gives everyone in Hobart a reminder really how vulnerable the bridge is
and there's good reason for stopping the traffic when a ship goes through',
he said.

'We're lucky that we're looked after by the traffic lights that stop us'.)

2.
Vessels with extra engines to fall back on if one fails.

'You always have two generators online in case one was to go down'."

 

[imstilla.grandma]

“It’s the blue-collar bridge,” said Kurt L. Schmoke, Baltimore’s mayor in the 1990s and now president of University of Baltimore. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge, 22 miles away, the only bridge in Maryland that was longer, is all about leisure, a gateway to the beach. The tunnels are all function, a way of all but bypassing Baltimore on the way from Washington, D.C., to New York City.

“The Key Bridge,” Mr. Schmoke said, “was definitely for work.”

“The bridge spanned working Baltimore, both metaphorically and literally,” said Rafael Alvarez, 65, the son of a harbor tugboat engineer who has written more than a dozen books about Baltimore’s working class.

For Many in Baltimore, the Key Was the City’s ‘Blue Collar’ Bridge

The bridge, which collapsed on Tuesday, had become an emblem of Baltimore’s identity as a working port city.

www.nytimes.com

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Collapsed Bridge In Baltimore

Total length: 2.6 km, 4 lanes

www.barrons.com

At the time of the collision, an ebb tide was also running, meaning that the current would have been flowing out of the harbor — the same direction the vessel was traveling. When a tide is running with the ship, it makes maneuvering more difficult, according to Collette. Compounding that difficulty, the collision occurred just one day past a full moon, when tidal current velocities are especially strong.

In its statement, the Singapore port authority said the Dali dropped its anchor before the collision.

"It's standard practice in this situation to try to anchor the ship," to stop it, Collette says. "If they have room and they have channel depth."

"That's an evolution that's going to be taking minutes," he says.
. With an engine and/or a steering failure, there is little else the crew could have done to prevent catastrophe, Karatzas says.

"I suppose they were praying just to get power," he says.

The entrance to the harbor is "quite narrow," he says. "And, it's quite late at night. It's dark. You have to make allowances for that."

https://www.npr.org/2024/03/27/1240899509/ship-bridge-collapse-dali

 

[imstilla.grandma]

One of the key manufacturers located at the Baltimore harbor is the Domino Sugar refinery, the 115-year old facility that the company says is the largest cane sugar refinery in the Western hemisphere. One of the oldest manufacturers in the city, its Domino Sugar sign is a well-known Baltimore landmark.

The refinery takes raw sugar imported by ship and refines it into various products. Company officials did not respond to questions about the inventory of raw sugar the refinery has on hand, nor its operational plan during the shutdown of the port.

Baltimore also has a cruise terminal, serving ships operated by Royal Caribbean (RCL), Carnival (CCL) and Norwegian (NCLH). Cruises carrying more than 444,000 passengers departed from the port last year.

“We are closely following this situation. Right now, the most important thing to do is to allow the emergency workers to do their work,” it said in a statement

“It’s like a natural disaster. It’s highly disruptive in the immediate term, but then you get rebuilding and it adds to economic activity,” said Zandi.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/26/business/baltimore-port-autos-cruises/index.html

 

[iamshadow21]

An interview with a structural engineer in Scientific American.

A Structural Engineer Explains Why the Baltimore Bridge Collapsed

A large container ship “totally removed” a critical pier from Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge

www.scientificamerican.com

Tl;dr - any bridge would be destroyed by this kind of strike, the major support removed. And if lessons can be learned and they can build it back better, it will be.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Illinois Institute of Technology engineering professor Gongkang Fu said the first step to rebuilding will be to assess the foundational pieces of the bridge underwater.

“The pieces we don't see...are more expensive than the pieces we see, normally,” Fu said.

Building the underwater part can account for as much as half of the construction time, Fu said, so the condition of those pieces will greatly determine how long rebuilding will take.

How fast funds come in will also determine when the bridge can reopen, Fu said, noting that expediting construction raises costs.

The target bridge lifespan in current national guidelines is 75 years, Fu said.

Hota GangaRao, the director of the Constructed Facilities Center at West Virginia University’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, said several bridge piers could be damaged by the collapse. But engineers would need to assess the underwater structure to see the extent.

Based on the size of the bridge, GangaRao estimated rebuilding the structure will cost at least $350 million, and take two to four years to complete

Time, money, lost business are part of hefty price tag to rebuild critical Baltimore bridge

While state and federal officials have not released official timelines, experts say it may take years until the Francis Scott Key Bridge is reopened.

www.usatoday.com

 

[Mirabel091]

I think the trussed metal elements are not flimsy at all - they just look flimsy as the structure is failing. If built like other steel US bridges, the trussed elements are steel box beams, welded and made of very heavy material. The box beams can be seen in close up pictures where they landed on the Dali.

I agree, they do look flimsy from some angles, but they were solid enough to tear a chunk out of the ship as they landed. The forces involved must have been massive - almost incomprehensible.

 

[Dotta]

"Crew of ship that smashed into Baltimore bridge ​

could be stranded on board for two weeks ​

as rescuers battle to clear steal and hope fades for six workers still missing.​

It is thought the ship,
a DALI boat operated by Singaporean company Synergy Group,
was being crewed by 22 Indian nationals,
none of whom are thought to have been seriously hurt in the incident.

But the director of a local mariners' charity said he feared they could be stranded on board for up to two weeks after part of the bridge collapsed onto the back of the vessel.

Andy Middleton, of the Apostleship of the Sea,
said the crew would likely not be able to leave their ship until the debris had been cleared."

Crew of ship that smashed into Baltimore bridge stranded for TWO WEEKS

Crew of the stricken cargo ship that crashed into a Baltimore bridge this morning could be stuck on board for up to two weeks as authorities scramble to clear the wreckage, DailyMail.com can reveal.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Dawnee1004]

I was trying to remember the particulars of that accident, too. We were all stunned.

Minnesotans are giving a signal to Baltimore tonight:

Minneapolis's 35W bridge, which collapsed in 2007, lights up in Maryland colors in show of support of Baltimore

In the 2007 tragedy, 13 people lost their lives after the bridge suddenly collapsed into the Mississippi River, and 145 more people were injured. The bridge was under construction at the time of the crash, but the moment of failure happened at the height of the afternoon rush hour.

www.cbsnews.com

I never had any fear of bridges until this! I remember this scared the carp out of me and it was the first thing I thought of when this FSK bridge went down yesterday!

 

[iamshadow21]

"Crew of ship that smashed into Baltimore bridge ​

could be stranded on board for two weeks ​

as rescuers battle to clear steal and hope fades for six workers still missing.​

View attachment 493086

It is thought the ship,
a DALI boat operated by Singaporean company Synergy Group,
was being crewed by 22 Indian nationals,
none of whom are thought to have been seriously hurt in the incident.

But the director of a local mariners' charity said he feared they could be stranded on board for up to two weeks after part of the bridge collapsed onto the back of the vessel.

Andy Middleton, of the Apostleship of the Sea,
said the crew would likely not be able to leave their ship until the debris had been cleared."

Crew of ship that smashed into Baltimore bridge stranded for TWO WEEKS

Crew of the stricken cargo ship that crashed into a Baltimore bridge this morning could be stuck on board for up to two weeks as authorities scramble to clear the wreckage, DailyMail.com can reveal.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Good to hear the ship's crew are being looked after. It makes complete sense they'd have to remain aboard to monitor the ship and make sure it wasn't leaking or deteriorating in some way.

Confused by the spokesperson who repeats throughout that the bridge fell across the back of the ship when everything shows that it's across the bow. I guess it doesn't really matter that he's confused about that so long as he keeps up his charitable support of the stranded seamen. It's important that they're able to maintain themselves - food, water, sanitation - if they're stuck there for the foreseeable future. Looks like the org helping them is Catholic - unsurprisingly, as it's Baltimore - but I hope if any of them need support that isn't Christian in flavour, then they're able to be put in contact with someone from the appropriate faith. And their families, they must be worried sick for them, back home.

MOO

 

[Dotta]

Good to hear the ship's crew are being looked after. It makes complete sense they'd have to remain aboard to monitor the ship and make sure it wasn't leaking or deteriorating in some way.

Confused by the spokesperson who repeats throughout that the bridge fell across the back of the ship when everything shows that it's across the bow. I guess it doesn't really matter that he's confused about that so long as he keeps up his charitable support of the stranded seamen. It's important that they're able to maintain themselves - food, water, sanitation - if they're stuck there for the foreseeable future. Looks like the org helping them is Catholic - unsurprisingly, as it's Baltimore - but I hope if any of them need support that isn't Christian in flavour, then they're able to be put in contact with someone from the appropriate faith. And their families, they must be worried sick for them, back home.

MOO

I think it is the crew's employer's task to look after the crew, no?

Charities also, for sure!

 

[imstilla.grandma]

“Is there a crew working on the bridge right now?” one of the officers asked around 1:28 a.m.

“Just make sure no one’s on the bridge right now. … If there’s a crew up there, you might want to notify whoever the foreman is to see if we can get them off the bridge temporarily,” he said.

The last two cars to cross the bridge headed south. Forty-nine seconds later, the Dali crashed into the bridge.

A third officer on the north side of the bridge offered to ride up and tell the workers as soon as another unit came to relieve him.

He did not get the chance.

The Dali, lights off once more, black smoke still spewing, struck the pylon at 1:28 a.m. An engineering professor at the University of Michigan estimated the blow carried the force of 10 million pounds.

Just 20 seconds after the collision, the Key Bridge collapsed into the Patapsco River.

“The whole bridge just fell down,” the second officer said over the radio, his voice in apparent disbelief.

He struggled to find words.

“Start, start whoever, everybody — the whole bridge just collapsed,” he said.

Inside the final minutes before the Key Bridge collapsed

Video, police and fire dispatch audio, ship location data and statements from officials capture the minutes leading up to one of the largest infrastructure disasters in Maryland’s history.

www.thebaltimorebanner.com

 

[imstilla.grandma]

*40,000 containers on board ship. Per ABC News

The report card says about 42% of the nation’s more than 600,000 highway bridges are over 50 years old — about a 39% increase from 2016.

Of those hundreds of thousands of bridges, about 12% were 80 years or older. Notably, the report found that structurally deficient bridges were nearly 69 years old on average.

“Most of the country’s bridges were designed for a service life of approximately 50 years, so as time passes, an ever-increasing number of bridges will need major rehabilitation or replacement,” according to the report

Baltimore bridge collapse reignites calls for fixes to America's aging bridges

The collision caused Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge to collapse within seconds, igniting calls for fixes to America's aging bridges.

www.usatoday.com

 

[iamshadow21]

I think it is the crew's employer's task to look after the crew, no?

Charities also, for sure!

The employer is on the other side of the world.

This isn't about them getting paid, it's literally about people in small boats ferrying supplies to them and checking on their welfare. That's a job for someone local, and this org has been doing this kind of thing for over a hundred years. Think of them kind of like the YMCA for sailors.

Stella Maris (seafarers' ministry) - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org