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

[Herat]

Mary D. Kane, president and CEO of the Maryland Chamber of Commerce, said 35,000 people use the Francis Scott Key Bridge daily and the Port of Baltimore generates more than 15,000 direct jobs, with nearly 140,000 jobs linked to the port’s activities.

“The economic impact that’s going to be felt by Baltimore and the state of Maryland is incomprehensible,” Kane said in a phone call Tuesday. “It doesn’t just affect Maryland. This affects the entire east coast up to the Mississippi.”

Baltimore bridge: Economy could lose $15M daily from 'incomprehensible' collapse

The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge above the Patapsco River is likely to have a dramatic impact on port operations and on regional shipping.

thedailyrecord.com

Leon, the Virginia Tech professor, said lessons can be learned and improvements can be made following this disaster. For example, bridge cameras and sensors can be used to track when a cargo ship heads off course and communicate with traffic lights and gates at bridge entrances.

“I think that our mission now is to learn from this failure and learn at all levels,” Leon said.

What we know about the Baltimore bridge collapse

The Dali was headed from Baltimore to Colombo, Sri Lanka, and flying under a Singapore flag, according to data from Marine Traffic.

apnews.com

I think much needs to be done to protecting the bridge pylons. Other bridges have concrete / rock barriers that surround them to protect from just such catastrophic damage. The Army Corps of Engineers would be ideal to survery this area and plan for such pylon protective measures. There are clearly channel buoys there, but this accident did not occur because they missed the channel.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

How long was this ship at port? Someone upthread mentioned they were here longer than previous ports. I'd like to know if they had any maintenance done while in this port, and whether it was routine, scheduled maintenance, or an emergent situation.

*recent port calls

Baltimore, USA, United States (USA)
Arrival (UTC)
Mar 23, 18:14
Departure (UTC)
Mar 26, 05:04
In Port
2d 10h

DALI, Container Ship - Details and current position - IMO 9697428 - VesselFinder

Vessel DALI (IMO 9697428, MMSI 563004200) is a Container Ship built in 2015 and currently sailing under the flag of Singapore.

www.vesselfinder.com

 

[Chimera]

Body pulled from river after Baltimore bridge collapse

A body has reportedly been discovered during the search for six missing construction workers who fell into the river when the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed.

www.dailymail.co.uk

A body has reportedly been discovered during the search for six missing construction workers who fell into the river when the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed.

'We are hearing one body was found,' Baltimore City Council Member Phylicia Porter said on CNN.

Name won't be released until formal identification, and family notified.
Rest in peace.

 

[Herat]

*recent port calls

Baltimore, USA, United States (USA)
Arrival (UTC)
Mar 23, 18:14
Departure (UTC)
Mar 26, 05:04
In Port
2d 10h

DALI, Container Ship - Details and current position - IMO 9697428 - VesselFinder

Vessel DALI (IMO 9697428, MMSI 563004200) is a Container Ship built in 2015 and currently sailing under the flag of Singapore.

www.vesselfinder.com

A 27 day trip to Colombo, Sri Lanka

It must have been about as heavy as it can be, full of fuel and cargo. Sure hope they can prevent a big fuel spill there.

 

[Herat]

Each car carrier can transport up to 7,000 vehicles. Baltimore is the #1 port in the US for Roll-on, roll-off cargo ( like cars and trucks).
Each carrier can take up to 1000 railroad car loads of coal, with a value of up to $500 million.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Response boat crews from Coast Guard Stations Curtis Bay and Annapolis have crews deployed to the incident for active search and rescue.

A Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew and Coast Guard investigators and pollution responders are also en-route to the incident.

An Urgent Marine Information Broadcast is issued regarding the incident and there has been a 2000-yard safety zone issued for the surrounding waters. Mariners are urged to avoid the area.

Coast Guard, multiple partners agencies, responding to Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse i

The U.S. Coast Guard is coordinating with local, state, and federal agencies in response to the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore Tuesday morning.

www.news.uscg.mil

*50 divers in water per WBAL

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Workers were on a 30 minute break sitting in trucks. The three family members are from Mexico, two are from Guatemala, one from Honduras and the other from El Salvador. They were all working to send money home to their countries and families. *Per WBAL Live

 

[Arkay]

Harrowing audio of Baltimore cops rushing to stop traffic over bridge

'I need one of you guys on the south side, one of you guys on the north side, hold all traffic on the Key Bridge,' one person is heard saying.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Quick action that saved so many lives.

 

[nhmemorymaker]

How long was this ship at port? Someone upthread mentioned they were here longer than previous ports. I'd like to know if they had any maintenance done while in this port, and whether it was routine, scheduled maintenance, or an emergent situation.

My question very early on. The ships itinerary showed them docked in Baltimore for over 2 days..... way longer that their previous port stops from Panama to NYC, Norfolk, and then Baltimore.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

*Engineers at John Hopkins say it may take 5 - 10 years before new bridge is complete. Commercial divers will probably be brought in. Steel girders will need cranes. Fenders may have lessened the impact. Recommend keeping the piers further apart when rebuilt.. *Live

Baltimore harbor pilots were directing the ship at the time of the crash, as is customary when vessels enter ports or canals, according to a joint statement from the ship’s owner and manager.

Governor Moore said the bridge was fully up to code, and that the collapse did not appear to be the result of a structural issue.

What We Know About the Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapse in Baltimore

Federal investigators are searching for answers about how a giant cargo ship struck a major bridge minutes after leaving the Port of Baltimore on March 26.

www.nytimes.com

 

[Herat]

Barron's is reporting there were two harbor pilots working on the Dali last night:

"The pilot guides the ship's captain on the proper routes to take and how to handle the local conditions, the French Federation of Maritime Pilots says on its website.

The job can be dangerous. The pilots arrive and leave the ship by a long hanging ladder -- called a "Jacob's ladder" -- from a small boat, or by winch from a helicopter.
The 95,000-tonne Dali had two pilots on board when it issued a Mayday call early Tuesday warning that it had lost power -- moments before smashing into a pier supporting the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

When there are two pilots on board, as was the case with the Dali in Baltimore, it's because the navigation is particularly complicated."

I would add: The navigation is particularly complicated when the ship has power and is functioning normally.

Grace Ocean is named as the owner of the ship. MAERSK chartered the ship for the voyage. Who is liable for the damages will be a court determination, I think. There will, of course, be an inquiry and the actions of the two harbor pilots will be thoroughly reviewed. I hope neither of them loses their career to this accident that at this point appears to be a significant problem with the electronics.

*edited to correct ownership info

 

[IQuestion]

The bridge stood strong for 50 years. At the time it was constructed the average cargo ship was 1530 TEU (twenty foot equivalent unit) and now the ships have grown 1500% to 24000 TEU (twenty foot equivalent).
I'm thinking as large a high school football stadium floating on water? I'm surprised the amount of metal falling on the ship did not capsize it as well. The almost immediate and complete collapse is still unbelievable...one minute, clear night, the iconic bridge silhouette, beautiful sparkling lights reflecting on the water....and then gone.

Maritime infographic: 50 years container ship growth | MaritimeCyprus

maritimecyprus.com

 

[ifindedout]

MAERSK is the owner of the ship. They will be the ones liable for the damages. There will, of course, be an inquiry and the actions of the two harbor pilots will be thoroughly reviewed. I hope neither of them loses their career to this accident that at this point appears to be a significant problem with the electronics.

RSBM
Maersk only chartered the ship. She's actually owned by Grace Ocean Pte Ltd of Singapore (Pte = private; i.e. private limited company) and is managed by Synergy Marine Group.

Who are Synergy Marine Group, the company that manages the ship responsible for Baltimore bridge collapse?

The Dali, the Singapore-flagged container ship that collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge, was travelling from Baltimore to Sri Lanka.

en.as.com

The Dali, the Singapore-flagged container ship that has caused the collapse of a major Baltimore bridge, is managed by Synergy Marine Group, a firm based in the Southeast Asian city state.

[...]

While the Dali is managed by Synergy Marine Group, it is owned by Grace Ocean Pte Ltd, also Singapore-based. According to Bloomberg, Grace Ocean’s business “includes providing miscellaneous water transportation services”.

This source also states Maersk chartered the Dali.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

​

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/why-did-baltimore-bridge-collapse-what-do-we-know-about-ship-2024-03-26/

*Eight people - all part of a construction crew contracted to fix potholes and make repairs - were seen on the bridge at the time.

Baltimore Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse: What we know about ship and bridge

How events unfolded when a cargo ship crashed into and destroyed the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

www.bbc.com

 

[Herat]

My question very early on. The ships itinerary showed them docked in Baltimore for over 2 days..... way longer that their previous port stops from Panama to NYC, Norfolk, and then Baltimore.

RSBM
Maersk only chartered the ship. She's actually owned by Grace Ocean Pte Ltd of Singapore (Pte = private; i.e. private limited company) and is managed by Synergy Marine Group.

The Dali, the Singapore-flagged container ship that has caused the collapse of a major Baltimore bridge, is managed by Synergy Marine Group, a firm based in the Southeast Asian city state.

[...]

While the Dali is managed by Synergy Marine Group, it is owned by Grace Ocean Pte Ltd, also Singapore-based. According to Bloomberg, Grace Ocean’s business “includes providing miscellaneous water transportation services”.

This source also states Maersk chartered the Dali.

Thank you. I was re-reading the info online and corrected my error.

MAERSK is a ubiquitous name in global shipping.

 

[ifindedout]

​

SBM
That object sitting on the bow that looks like a wrapped paper bale is actually part of the concrete pier the ship struck.

 

[Herat]

SBM
That object sitting on the bow that looks like a wrapped paper bale is actually part of the concrete pier the ship struck.

It's really surprising the ship didn't sink or rotate sideways and capsize.

 

[Seattle1]

dbm - answered

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Miguel Luna, 49, is one of the men missing, his wife María del Carmen Castellón told our sister station Telemundo 44 in Spanish.

While access to the disaster zone is restricted, family members like Castellón were able to get in while they waited for news.

“They only tell us that we have to wait, that for now, they can’t give us information,” she said. “[We feel] devastated, devastated because our heart is broken, because we don’t know if they’ve rescued them yet. We’re just waiting to hear any news.“

Jesús Campos said he's worked construction for Brawner Builders, alongside some of the missing, for years and that last night his coworkers were replacing concrete on the bridge.

“Watching what’s happening makes my heart hurt. We’re human beings and they’re my coworkers,” he said. “God willing, they’re alive. It’s what we’re hoping for most.”

“It could’ve been me,” Campos said. “Around a month ago I was working on the bridge… we had been moved to the day shift and they went at night.”

Luna’s loved ones say he is from El Salvador and has six children.

Campos said he doesn’t believe the workers could have been evacuated.

“It happened in the blink of an eye… It couldn’t be done,” he said.

Telemundo 44 was able to access a list of names believed to be of the group of workers that were on the bridge during the collapse. Though they appear to be Hispanic, authorities have not provided details on the identities of the victims.

“They’re fathers. They’re people who come to earn their daily bread,” Campos said.

‘They're fathers': Loved ones of 6 missing workers hope for a miracle after Baltimore bridge collapse

More than 14 hours after the Francis Scott Key bridge collapsed in Baltimore, authorities continued search and rescue operations for at least six people who were working on the bridge when it was struck by a container ship early Tuesday.

www.nbcwashington.com

 

[ifindedout]

NOAA navigational chart for Baltimore Harbor
Chart 12281