SINGAPORE: The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) issued a media release on Tuesday (March 26) to say that it has as offered to assist with investigations into the collision of a Singapore-flagged container vessel, the Dali, into the Francis Scott Key bridge, in Baltimore, Maryland.
The MPA said it offered aid to the United States Coast Guard (USGC) Headquarters and the Office of Marine Safety, National Transportation Safety Board, and that investigators from the Transport Safety Investigation Bureau and MPA were en route to Maryland.
The incident occurred at around 1:27 am, Baltimore time. The Dali crashed into one of the pillars supporting the bridge, causing some cars on the bridge to fall into the Patapsco River.
BREAKING: Ship collides with Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, causing it to collapse pic.twitter.com/OcOrSjOCRn
— BNO News (@BNONews) March 26, 2024
The 300-metre-long ship, chartered by the Danish shipping company Maersk, had left Baltimore just half an hour before the incident and was on the way to Colombo, Sri Lanka.
“The ship management company, Synergy Marine Pte Ltd, reported to MPA that just before the incident, the vessel, Dali, had experienced momentary loss of propulsion.
As a result, it could not maintain the desired heading and collided with the Francis Scott Key bridge,” the MPA said in its statement.
The Authority added that as part of the vessel’s emergency procedures, the Dali reportedly dropped its anchors before hitting the bridge.
“The vessel is currently holding onto its position at the site of the collision and is in a stable condition. All 22 crew members are safe and accounted for,” said the MPA.
ABC News reported that the vessel crew told Maryland officials they had lost control of the Dali. Two local pilots and not the crew were guiding the ship when the accident occurred, said Mr Paul Wiedefeld, Maryland Transportation Secretary.
The ship’s alert gave the authorities enough time to stop traffic on either side of the bridge. US President Joseph Biden commended the officials who prevented vehicles from entering the bridge, saying they “undoubtedly saved lives.”
However, eight people were on the bridge when the accident occurred, two of whom had been rescued, and six are still missing. They had been filling potholes on the bridge as part of a construction crew.
“At this point, we do not believe we are going to find any of these individuals still alive,” said Rear Admiral Shannon Gilreath of the United States Coast Guard.
By Wednesday morning (Singapore time), rescue efforts to find the missing workers were suspended, with authorities saying too much time had gone by for any hope that the men could still be rescued. /TISG
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