MD Bridge Collapses After Ship With Indian Crew Hits It

Photo: Governor Wes Moore and Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller at a press conference following the disaster.

India-West News Desk

BALTIMORE, MD – The container ship that rammed the Francis Scott Key Bridge here, resulting in a section of the bridge collapsing, was manned entirely by a crew of Indians.

The ship Dali was chartered by Maersk and operated by Synergy Marine Group. All crew members escaped injury even though the bridge crashed on the ship below.

The collision occurred around 1:30 am local time on Tuesday, leading to multiple vehicles and nearly 20 individuals falling into the Patapsco River. Video footage captured the ship’s lights going out just before the impact.

Rescuers are still searching for missing individuals, which at this time stands at seven. The missing are construction workers who were on the bridge conducting repairs when it was struck. Divers and helicopters are on the scene.  

Maryland Governor Wes Moore has declared a state of emergency and also commended the crew’s prompt Mayday call, which aided in halting road traffic and preventing further casualties.

Lt.Governor Aruna Miller too was at a press conference with Moore to extend assurances that all was being done for the safety of the public.

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott described the incident as a tragic event reminiscent of scenes from an action movie. He stressed the importance of providing support to affected families.

“There are many questions to be answered in the days ahead. The hows and whys and what-ifs that inevitably follow an apparent accident involving an enormous ship veering so far off course,” The Baltimore Sun said, adding that the bridge collapse will have a lasting impact on the state’s finances.

Maersk expressed shock over the incident and pledged full cooperation with ongoing investigations. The vessel, with a capacity of 10,000 TEU and carrying 4,679 TEU, was en route from Baltimore to Colombo, Sri Lanka, owned by Grace Ocean Private Ltd.

Port traffic was temporarily halted following the collision, as authorities continue to investigate the exact cause. Governor Wes Moore has indicated that the container ship experienced a power loss during the incident.