Bridge collapses due to cargo ship collision

In the early morning of Tuesday, Mar. 26, 2024, a 984-foot-long ship collided with a pillar on Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge. This led to the collapse of the bridge and the disappearance of night shift construction members who were believed to be filling potholes at the time of the collapse. 

Twenty-one crew members were on board the ship, Dali, alongside two maritime pilots. The ship was on a nearly month-long voyage towards Sri Lanka, and The National Transportation Safety Board has confirmed that the ship was carrying 56 containers of hazardous materials, along with other cargo. 

At 1:26 a.m. on Tuesday, the crew on board the Singapore-flagged cargo ship radioed to surrounding tugboats for help. Approximately three minutes later, the ship hit the bridge pillar before immediately beginning to collapse. Video footage shows the ship losing power at about 1:24 a.m. and proceeding to flicker on and off until the ship reached contact with the bridge pillar.

In the time between the power outage and contact with the pillar, the crew and pilot attempted to redirect the path of the ship to avoid collision. The ship’s onboard alarm can be heard in audio footage when power was regained. The U.S. Coast Guard has classified the incident as a major marine casualty.

A search quickly began for six construction members following the collapse who were working for the company, Brawner Builders. Two of the men were found trapped inside a red pickup truck in the Patapsco River, while the four remaining missing men are currently presumed to be deceased as a result of water and weather conditions. 

The search for the four remaining missing has taken a pause due to the unsafe conditions in the water for divers. Additional vehicles encased in concrete and other debris items have created an unsafe environment for divers to continue the search. Once the operations are clear of debris, however, the search will resume. 

Coast Guard Vice Admiral Peter Gautier, the deputy commandant for operations, has declared that the collapse poses no current threat to the public. None of the containers that held hazardous materials were missing or unaccounted for after the incident. Only two containers on the entire ship, which was carrying 4,700 containers, are currently missing and are presumed to be overboard in the water. 

The collapse of the bridge has led to the closure of the port, which will have a major effect on the city’s economy. Ten other ships are currently stuck inside the port, which indirectly employs over 140,000 people. The closure, as a result, will have an impact on more than just Maryland and surrounding states. 

Baltimore Mayor Brand Scott has stated that he has heard from President Biden and his team. Biden has expressed his thoughts, prayers, and understanding for the event and for the families that have been affected by it. President Biden is currently scheduled to visit Baltimore and those affected on Friday, Apr. 5, 2024.