The cargo ship that collided with the Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore overnight was being piloted by a specialized crew trained to navigate ports without incident, it has been revealed. The vessel, a 948-foot-long DALI operated by the Singaporean company Synergy Group, struck the 1.2-mile bridge shortly after 1:26 am as it departed the Port of Baltimore.
Rescue teams in Baltimore are working at a rapid pace to save the lives of dozens of people who were thrown into the icy waters of the Patapsco River when the bridge collapsed after a collision with a container ship. A video captures the moment the bridge collapses plunging people into the waters.
Chaotic Scenes after Collison
Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld said at a Tuesday morning press conference that it seems none of the 22 crew members were injured. He also revealed that the vessel was being steered by specialist pilots.
He said, "Pilots move ships in and out of the Port of Baltimore," noting that the specialist pilots disembark from the ships once they are in open water.
Authorities quickly dismissed the catastrophe as intentional or an act of terrorism, and an initial report from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) indicated that the container ship "lost propulsion" as it was leaving the port.
"The vessel notified MD Department of Transportation (MDOT) that they had lost control of the vessel and an allision with the bridge was possible," the report said. "The vessel struck the bridge causing a complete collapse."
All operations at the Port of Baltimore, one of the most critical trade hubs in North America, have come to a standstill.
The ship had left the Seagirt Marine Terminal at around 12:30 am on Tuesday, before veering southeast toward the bridge around half an hour later.
The Dali was supposed to pass beneath the bridge, but it collided with a support beam. Investigations into the incident are currently ongoing.
Rescue Operation Ongoing
Initial reports suggest that roughly a dozen cars plunged into the 47-degree water, along with around 20 construction workers who were present on the bridge at the time of the accident. These workers were in the process of pouring concrete onto the bridge when the fatal collision took place.
An explosion occurred on the container ship as it collided with the bridge, causing containers and diesel to spill into the water. The ship involved is the 948-foot-long Dali, flagged in Singapore and identified as a container vessel.
Observers noted that black smoke was observed coming from the ship moments before the collision, indicating that the crew may have tried to reverse the engines.
Rescue teams are continuing their efforts to help those affected by the accident, with an estimated two dozen cars believed to have been on the bridge at the time.
As of early Tuesday, two people had been rescued from the water. One was unharmed, while the other was transported to the hospital in a "very serious condition."
The shocking moment of the bridge collapse, occurring at a height of 180 feet above the river, was captured on camera. Kevin Cartwright, the Director of Communications for the Baltimore Fire Department, described the situation as "a dire emergency."
Around 30,000 vehicles use the bridge, named after the writer of the Star Spangled Banner, daily. The bridge, which opened in 1977, serves as a vital transportation route.
The Dali ship was bound for Colombo, Sri Lanka, although the cargo it was carrying remains unclear. The vessel was scheduled to arrive in Asia on April 27.
