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

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Jesus Campos, an employee of Brawner Builders, said his coworkers and friends were on the Key Bridge when it collapsed. Campos said he recently switched shifts, but had been working on the bridge himself before the shifts rotated. (Emily Opilo/Staff)
Jesus Campos, an employee of Brawner Builders, said his coworkers and friends were on the Key Bridge when it collapsed. Campos said he recently switched shifts, but had been working on the bridge himself before the shifts rotated
www.delcotimes.com

Baltimore Key Bridge collapses into Patapsco River after ship crash | PHOTOS

Photos of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge after it collapsed early Tuesday morning.
www.delcotimes.com www.delcotimes.com

Wallace said dive crews are in the debris field, battling darkness.

"We'll be guided by our guide teams," Wallace said. "This water is current influenced, so right now, we think the current is coming in, so we have to take a lot of factors int play."

"We have to be thinking about the families and the people impacted," Scott said.
www.wbaltv.com

LIVE UPDATES: 6 workers presumed dead after Baltimore bridge collapse, coast guard says

A cargo ship struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which collapsed overnight, sending cars and a construction crew into the Patapsco River.
www.wbaltv.com www.wbaltv.com
 
Ben Schafer, professor of civil and systems engineering at Johns Hopkins University, told CBS News that most bridges in the U.S. fall in this "fair" range, which is "not what we would want or suspect" as a society. But, he said, the massive ship – not the condition of the Key Bridge – is likely to blame for its collapse.

"Like others, I've watched the video a bunch of times and have gone frame by frame and worked up a few different hypothesis in my mind, but I see little evidence for anything other than: the boat strike took a bridge with two supports and took away one of them and then it fell in the water," Schafer told CBS News. "I mean, doesn't seem to be super more complicated than that."

Many bridges – whether a suspension bridge or an arched bridge – require two supports under the portion of bridge that goes over water, Schafer said. "This is the minimum number to cross over," he said.

"The container ship was as wide as it was as tall," Schafer said, adding that it was of similar scale to the bridge. "So the mass that's associated with that container ship creates an amount of energy that a small concrete pier isn't going to sustain. That's an accident that we can't allow to happen and expect the bridges to stay up."
www.cbsnews.com

What we know about the condition of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge and how this sort of collapse could happen

During its latest federal inspection, the Key Bridge scored a six out of nine, which is considered fair. Here's what that means.
www.cbsnews.com www.cbsnews.com
 
iamshadow21 said:
Biden has suggested that the funding for rebuild should come from federal pockets, and called on Congress for support. So, that should take some of the burden off Baltimore and Maryland, if it passes.

Click to expand...
That’s good news. I am also wondering if the insurance carrier for the container ship could be liable for any of the expenses. I hope so, but I’m sure it might involve lengthy legal battles? IMO.
 
Fascinating interview (CBS news video) and discussion is with a very experienced atty in maritime issues and an advisor at other harbors, James McCanty ("phonetic" spelling of his last name...prolly spelled differently) But, I digress...he had an interesting tidbit on what "should or has been done when ships lose power/steering/thrust etc and he says/implies "immediately dropping anchors" could have slowed down the ship. But is reserving final conclusion until "black box-type" recording of actual events is retrieved and examined. (New York board of pilot commissioners etc...very knowledgable man.)
His interview is intriguing, nonetheless.
 
dotr said:
Mar 26, 2024
The same vessel that hit the Baltimore Key Bridge on Tuesday, destroying it and sending people and vehicles tumbling into the water, was involved in a collision while leaving the port of Antwerp, Belgium, in 2016. According to Vessel Finder the weather was fine at the time, and the incident was reportedly blamed on the ship’s master and pilot on board Cargo ship that hit Baltimore bridge was involved in Antwerp collision in 2016
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It's really not that unusual for large vessels like container ships and cruise ships to have contact with piers and docks and other cruise ships. Some of the ports are overcrowded and weather conditions, mechanical issues etc. can be a factor in accidents. I remember a Carnival ship plowing into another cruise ship a couple of years ago and another cruise ship which hit a pier during rough weather.
 
Synergy Group confirmed the collision in a statement to ABC News, saying the ship had been piloted by two individuals during the incident. The pilots of the ship were local, officials said at a press conference

Dali had been chartered by Danish shipping firm Maersk, company listingsshowed. Earlier this month, the ship traveled through the Panama Canal to Newark, New Jersey, before voyaging to Norfolk, Virginia, and finally reaching the Port of Baltimore, the listings said.
abcnews.go.com

What to know about the massive ship that crashed into the Baltimore bridge

A giant container ship struck a bridge in the Baltimore harbor early Tuesday morning, collapsing the structure and hurling construction workers into the water.
abcnews.go.com abcnews.go.com

Maersk Shipping's global reach is extensive, with operations in over 130 countries worldwide. Its biggest clients include Amazon, Disney, Microsoft, etc.
www.pagetwentyone.com

Maersk Shipping: Deep Dive into the World's Largest Shipping Company

If you have ever visited any shipping port you must have seen, the Maersk shipping container. They are the world's largest shipping company with annual revenue of $82 Billion.Maersk Shipping, also known as A.P. Moller-Maersk, is a Danish container logistics company that operates in over 130...
www.pagetwentyone.com www.pagetwentyone.com

Maersk and Wallenius Wilhelmsen have teamed up with Copenhagen University and major customers including BMW Group, H&M Group, Levi Strauss & Co. and Marks & Spencer to form the LEO Coalition, which will explore the environmental and commercial viability of LEO fuel for shipping.

Maersk join forces with industry peers and customers to develop LEO

A.P. Moller - Maersk alongside with Wallenius Wilhelmsen, BMW Group, H&M Group, Levi Strauss & Co. and, Marks & Spencer to explore LEO - a blend of lignin and ethanol - that could be part of the future solution for sustainable shipping.
www.maersk.com www.maersk.com

*8th person is the State Inspector: Source WBAL
**The University of Maryland Medical Center's trauma center treated one patient from the collapse who has been discharged, Michael Schwartzberg, the medical center's spokesperson, said in an email.
www.usatoday.com

Baltimore's Key Bridge collapses after ship strike; construction crew missing: Live updates

A massive search effort was underway for six construction workers who were on the Francis Scott Key Bridge when it was struck by a large cargo vessel.
www.usatoday.com
 
Last edited:
"Eight people are believed to have fallen into the water during the collapse, said Paul Wiedefeld, Maryland’s transportation secretary. All eight were part of a construction crew filling potholes. Six of those people are still missing, he said. ... A reporter asked if officials thought anyone driving over the bridge had fallen into the water, aside from the construction workers. 'We believe it’s the construction crew only,' the transportation secretary responded."


This is absolutely devastating, but I'm shocked (in a good way) that it wasn't so much worse. The time of day helped, as did the mayday call. I know that's of zero comfort to the families and friends of those lost, but this could have been so much more catastrophic. Sending love to everyone in Baltimore. I also live in a port city, so this sort of tragedy hits close to home.
 

"President Biden ​

says government will pay the full cost to replace collapsed Baltimore bridge ​

and insists it was an accident:​

President vows to ​

'move heaven and earth' ​

to get one of world's busiest ports reopened after disaster in Maryland."​


www.dailymail.co.uk

Biden says government will pay to replace collapsed Baltimore bridge

President Joe Biden vowed the federal government will pay to rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge and insisted it was an accident.
www.dailymail.co.uk www.dailymail.co.uk
 
sds71 said:
Here's the dispatch audio from this morning's collapse of the Key Bridge in Baltimore.

"They knew the ship was running off course prior to collapse, they started clearing the bridge."


https://twitter.com/x/status/1772659738334892222
Click to expand...
It Sounds like this tragedy could have been even worse than it is.

The quick actions seem to have stopped others entering the bridge - I’m guessing those missing are all road crew I really hope they are found before darkness falls - I wonder was any contact tried to be made with the road crew in the minutes leading up to the collision

I’m guessing this will soon turn from a rescue mission to a recovery mission

My thoughts go out to all the road crews family I hope you have news soon
 
IQuestion said:
Fascinating interview (CBS news video) and discussion is with a very experienced atty in maritime issues and an advisor at other harbors, James McCanty ("phonetic" spelling of his last name...prolly spelled differently) But, I digress...he had an interesting tidbit on what "should or has been done when ships lose power/steering/thrust etc and he says/implies "immediately dropping anchors" could have slowed down the ship. But is reserving final conclusion until "black box-type" recording of actual events is retrieved and examined. (New York board of pilot commissioners etc...very knowledgable man.)
His interview is intriguing, nonetheless.
Click to expand...
According to this article on CNN, the ship did drop its anchor. I'm honestly impressed by how quickly the ship and its crew acted. I can't imagine how scary it would be to be on a ship that size and realize you had no control over it.

www.cnn.com

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 www.cnn.com
 
branmuffin said:
When they say there was about 20 vehicles on the bridge at the time what are they basing that on, visual inspection or toll information? If it's toll information then hopefully the toll booths are in areas where the bridge still exists and they made it off the suspension portion of the bridge.
Click to expand...
The toll plaza is located here. There are no more toll booths, only toll gantries as toll collection is all E-ZPass.
www.google.com

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.
www.google.com www.google.com
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