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

[musicaljoke]

At this point, I don't think it is the fault of the bridge design or build. To my untrained eye, the concrete pilings are not well protected, but then who can protect against the momentum of a 95,000 ton hit ?

Any bridge would be at risk of you have a behemoth craft like this without power to steer, maneuver, or stop.

Well there definitely was a flaw or the bridge would still be standing. If there is regular traffic beneath the bridge that could potentially bring it down, then there has to be a design that takes that into consideration.

 

[Herat]

Truly there was so little time, the construction crew would not have been able to run off the central span to the fixed ramps that did not fall.

It's like watching something completely unravel or unzip out of control, and even the integrity of the other concrete pier did not even prevent the superstructure from unfurling.

 

[Elley Mae]

“They were going to Sri Lanka, and the captain said it was going to be a 28-day voyage,” he said. “They were going down and around South Africa to avoid the Red Sea and the Houthis.”

Dali crew spent weekend in Baltimore before heading back to sea, but ship instead struck Key Bridge

Volunteers with the Apostleship of the Sea spent time with crewmembers of the Dali cargo ship before it struck Baltimore’s Key Bridge.

www.baltimoresun.com

…

Wonder if the ship going around Africa versus the Suez Canal had it there for the two plus days, plus more fuel.

 

[10ofRods]

At this point, I don't think it is the fault of the bridge design or build. To my untrained eye, the concrete pilings are not well protected, but then who can protect against the momentum of a 95,000 ton hit ?

Any bridge would be at risk of you have a behemoth craft like this without power to steer, maneuver, or stop.

I'm reading that the original bridge design didn't include bumpers/fenders that would be standard in many places nowadays. That's obviously the biggest design flaw. The pylons (and their secure attachment to bedrocks) are fine. It's the flimsy (metal?) elements that immediately failed.

I am also reading that the total weight of the barge/vessel was in excess of 200,000 lbs.

 

[Herat]

“They were going to Sri Lanka, and the captain said it was going to be a 28-day voyage,” he said. “They were going down and around South Africa to avoid the Red Sea and the Houthis.”

Dali crew spent weekend in Baltimore before heading back to sea, but ship instead struck Key Bridge

Volunteers with the Apostleship of the Sea spent time with crewmembers of the Dali cargo ship before it struck Baltimore’s Key Bridge.

www.baltimoresun.com

…

Wonder if the ship going around Africa versus the Suez Canal had it there for the two plus days, plus more fuel.

Interesting thought, Elly Mae.

I think you're correct. Sites are reporting the journey is up to 30% longer if they cannot use the Suez Canal.

The longer trip makes port in Capetown, so they would not need to depart Baltimore with fuel for the entire 28-day journey.

Routing - Fluent Cargo

www.fluentcargo.com

 

[IDK]

Live updates: Baltimore Key bridge collapses after ship collision

Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed early Tuesday after it was struck by a large ship, according to video obtained by CNN. Follow live updates here.

www.cnn.com

March 26, 2024

The pilot of the ship that crashed into the Baltimore bridge Tuesday did “everything that he could have done” to slow the ship and keep it from drifting toward the bridge, said Clay Diamond, executive director and general counsel of the American Pilots Association.

Diamond has been in close communication with the Association of Maryland Pilots over what unfolded on the Dali cargo ship in the moments leading up to the crash.


At that point, according to Diamond, the pilot did “everything that he could have done” to both slow the ship down and keep it from drifting to the right, toward the bridge.

The pilot quickly gave a string of orders, calling for a hard rudder to port – as far left as possible -- and for the anchor to be dropped.

Additionally, Diamond said, the pilot was the one who contacted the pilot dispatch office to shut down traffic to the bridge.

“Those were all the appropriate steps but it happened so quickly and with so little lead time ... neither one of those maneuvers were enough,” said Diamond.

Diamond pointed out that while the lights on the boat could be seen turning back on – likely due to an emergency generator activating after the initial blackout -- the ship’s engines never got running again.

Pilot training programs are extensive and rigorous, according to Diamond, requiring years of experience navigating ships on the water, classroom simulations, and working under the supervision of licensed pilots.

“Additionally, Diamond said, the pilot was the one who contacted the pilot dispatch office to shut down traffic to the bridge.”

Thank you for posting. Just wanted to confirm it was the pilot. I have limited knowledge of maritime disasters, but it sounds like he did everything humanly possible to try and prevent a disaster.

 

[10ofRods]

Well there definitely was a flaw or the bridge would still be standing. If there is regular traffic beneath the bridge that could potentially bring it down, then there has to be a design that takes that into consideration.

This would require redesign and rebuilding of so many bridges. Which costs money. There's a significant budget deficit in Maryland.

Bridges built before Container Ships (weighing over 200,000 pounds) would all need to be revised. This would be a good thing of course. But past designs (this bridge is from 1977?) cannot always account for the ways of the future.

As I understand it, additions to the pylons (called fenders or bumpers) would have helped with this. They aren't, themselves, expensive. But the bureaucratic part and allocation of funds is what it is.

IMO.

 

[Herat]

I'm reading that the original bridge design didn't include bumpers/fenders that would be standard in many places nowadays. That's obviously the biggest design flaw. The pylons (and their secure attachment to bedrocks) are fine. It's the flimsy (metal?) elements that immediately failed.

I am also reading that the total weight of the barge/vessel was in excess of 200,000 lbs.

Hi 10,

I was looking at the list upthread about longest bridges and was checking them out. I am really surprised to see how little in the way of pier fenders are on Golden Gate, Queensferry Bridge in Scotland for examples. Some other very long bridges have modest pier fenders. I can see the DALI causing substantial damage with them and their concrete especially with the moment arm force the ship would impact on the fender or pier.

Some examples:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/p/AF1QipMPKJGcZT20vKjCNuvX3CTXSq3vNKfRa4oS6bFX=s1360-w1360-h1020

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/p/AF1QipOKPLY4s5GWt1vc0VjYjDsEFIDRJIdz56KVa4vr=s1360-w1360-h1020

https://www.goldengate.org/assets/1/15/gallerymaindimensionid/img_2223.jpg?2574

 

[branmuffin]

On Tuesday evening, the Guatemalan Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed two Guatemalan workers, ages 26 and 35 years old, went missing after the bridge collapsed.

How many people died in Baltimore bridge collapse? What we know about 6 missing workers

Officials believe there were eight workers on the bridge when it collapsed, and two were later rescued.

www.usatoday.com

Does that mean these workers came into the US on some kind of worker program? What type of benefits would they get in this case, or at least, surviving family members?

 

[Herat]

This would require redesign and rebuilding of so many bridges. Which costs money. There's a significant budget deficit in Maryland.

Bridges built before Container Ships (weighing over 200,000 pounds) would all need to be revised. This would be a good thing of course. But past designs (this bridge is from 1977?) cannot always account for the ways of the future.

As I understand it, additions to the pylons (called fenders or bumpers) would have helped with this. They aren't, themselves, expensive. But the bureaucratic part and allocation of funds is what it is.

IMO.

Not only cargo ships have become larger, but traffic loads on some major bridges have increased up to 10X what they were built for more than 20 years ago.

Sheer wear and tear on bridge supports and infrastructure are all worn by excess loads.

 

[Seattle1]

“They were going to Sri Lanka, and the captain said it was going to be a 28-day voyage,” he said. “They were going down and around South Africa to avoid the Red Sea and the Houthis.”

Dali crew spent weekend in Baltimore before heading back to sea, but ship instead struck Key Bridge

Volunteers with the Apostleship of the Sea spent time with crewmembers of the Dali cargo ship before it struck Baltimore’s Key Bridge.

www.baltimoresun.com

…

Wonder if the ship going around Africa versus the Suez Canal had it there for the two plus days, plus more fuel.

^^BBM

I think OP misunderstood the quoted MSM.

The article was describing the longer route the Dali was about to take to Sri Lanka.

To arrive Sri Lanka in 28 days, they planed to sail "around South Africa to avoid the Red Sea and the Houthis.” This route was longer but the course was in response to Israel’s bombing in Gaza, Houthi rebels in Yemen, who have been designated a terrorist group by the U.S., have been attacking ships in the Red Sea and military forces in the area.

Recent Port Calls by Dali included the Panama Canal on March 13 for 7.5 hours, NY on March 19 for almost 2 days, Norfolk on March 22 for 19.5 hours, and Baltimore on March 23 for more than 2 days - 10 hours. I'm not seeing anything unusual about the time in Port considering the long journey ahead.

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

 

[Arkay]

I know the circumstances are different in nearly every way—lives lost, location, ship’s purpose, amount of time to sink—-but still it makes me think of the iceberg hitting Titanic. A few feet further away and there likely would have been no collision.

Six lives lost is unbearable for their families. I’d never heard of this bridge before but I now understand what a vital shipping corridor that harbor is, and the economic impact it will have.

I can see the Verrazano Bridge from my window. It’s the longest suspension bridge in America and I travel it frequently. If that happened here there would be plenty of traffic even in the middle of the night, and if NY Harbor had to close down, the economic impact would be ineffable.

These poor families…who knows if the victim’s bodies will even wash up somewhere.

 

[branmuffin]

Hi 10,

I was looking at the list upthread about longest bridges and was checking them out. I am really surprised to see how little in the way of pier fenders are on Golden Gate, Queensferry Bridge in Scotland for examples. Some other very long bridges have modest pier fende

^^BBM

I think OP misunderstood the quoted MSM.

The article was describing the longer route the Dali was about to take to Sri Lanka.

To arrive Sri Lanka in 28 days, they planed to sail "around South Africa to avoid the Red Sea and the Houthis.” This route was longer but the course was in response to Israel’s bombing in Gaza, Houthi rebels in Yemen, who have been designated a terrorist group by the U.S., have been attacking ships in the Red Sea and military forces in the area.

Recent Port Calls by Dali included the Panama Canal on March 13 for 7.5 hours, NY on March 19 for almost 2 days, Norfolk on March 22 for 19.5 hours, and Baltimore on March 23 for more than 2 days - 10 hours. I'm not seeing anything unusual about the time in Port considering the long journey ahead.

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

And what they were loading onto the ship.

 

[Seattle1]

Somebody was asking about Cruise Ships earlier. Carnival announced that it's passengers will return to Norfolk instead of Baltimore due to the bridge collapse.

Carnival cruise passengers to return to Norfolk instead of Baltimore after Key Bridge collapse

Passengers returning from the Bahamas Sunday on the Carnival Legend will receive complimentary bus transportation back to Baltimore.

www.baltimoresun.com

 

[imstilla.grandma]

 

[anneg]

6 presumed dead after Francis Scott Key Bridge collapses in Baltimore: Here's what we know

Early Tuesday morning a cargo ship apparently lost power and crashed into Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing it to collapse into the Patapsco River. Eight workers were on the bridge at the time of the accident — two have been rescued, while six remain missing and are presumed dead.

www.yahoo.com

Excerpt (BBM below):​

The economic impact​

The collapse of the bridge could cause significant economic disruption and lead to months of commuter headaches for the residents of the area who relied upon it for daily commutes.

“There is no question that this will be a major and protracted impact to supply chains,” Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said during a Tuesday press conference. [...]

Baltimore is the biggest single port in the U.S. for handling automobiles and light trucks, Reuters reported, and the loss of the bridge, along with the ongoing recovery efforts, threaten to disrupt that industry.

Following the bridge collapse, more than 40 ships, including cargo vessels, tugboats and cruise ships now remain trapped in the port.

In total, nearly 140,000 jobs are linked to port activities, according to Moore’s office.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

A nonprofit that provides services to the immigrant community in Baltimore confirmed that at least one of the missing men, Miguel Luna, was an immigrant from El Salvador. Mr. Luna, 40, was married and has three children, said Gustavo Torres, the executive director of the nonprofit, We Are Casa. He said Mr. Luna had been living in Maryland for at least 19 years.

Guatemala’s foreign affairs ministry confirmed that two of the workers were Guatemalan nationals, from the regions of Petén and Chiquimula. The ministry, which did not release the names of its citizens, said that the country’s consul general in Maryland has spoken with the siblings of the two workers and is hoping to meet with their families.

The Mexican Consulate in Washington said in a statement that the nationalities of the missing people were still being determined. Embassies for the other two countries mentioned by Mr. Campos did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Bridge Collapse Victims Were Workers Supporting Families, Co-Worker Says

The six men worked for a company that often maintains bridges operated by the state. They were repairing the bridge’s roadway when it was struck by the ship.

www.nytimes.com

He said that they were immigrants originally from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico, who currently reside in Dundalk and Highlandtown. The missing men were all in their 30s and 40s, with spouses and children at home, whom Campos said they came to Baltimore to provide a better life for.

"They are all hard-working, humble men," Campos said.

Baltimore bridge collapse workers were immigrants

The six workers still missing from the construction crew have been called "hard-working, humble men."

www.newsweek.com

 

[ifindedout]

Truly there was so little time, the construction crew would not have been able to run off the central span to the fixed ramps that did not fall.

SBM
More of the fixed ramps (non-truss spans) fell than I had initially imagined. From the Wikipedia article, this graphic shows, in red, from west to east (south to north), what collapsed.

Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[Herat]

^^BBM

I think OP misunderstood the quoted MSM.

The article was describing the longer route the Dali was about to take to Sri Lanka.

To arrive Sri Lanka in 28 days, they planed to sail "around South Africa to avoid the Red Sea and the Houthis.” This route was longer but the course was in response to Israel’s bombing in Gaza, Houthi rebels in Yemen, who have been designated a terrorist group by the U.S., have been attacking ships in the Red Sea and military forces in the area.

Recent Port Calls by Dali included the Panama Canal on March 13 for 7.5 hours, NY on March 19 for almost 2 days, Norfolk on March 22 for 19.5 hours, and Baltimore on March 23 for more than 2 days - 10 hours. I'm not seeing anything unusual about the time in Port considering the long journey ahead.

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

My interpretation is that the DALI made it's way east across the Pacific to the Panama Canal from some Asian port with it's cargo of containers. Not sure but a Chinese port sounds reasonable. I wasn't able to track it back from Panama on the free part of Marine Ship Tracker.

Extra hours in port could also be the delay of containers having to get switched in loading or containers coming in late.

(Just because it's flagged in Singapore does not at all mean it mainly uses that port)

 

[anneg]

When we lived near Washington, DC, we traveled across the Francis Scott Key Bridge a number of times when driving to New England. I preferred crossing the bridge to taking the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel.

Baltimore Harbor Tunnel - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Newly added sentence:
After the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse on March 26, 2024, the Harbor Tunnel became one of the primary alternate routes for drivers and trucks containing non-hazardous loads.[15]