The two.6km-long, four-lane Francis Scott Key Bridge over the Patapsco River in Baltimore, got here crashing down after Dali, a 984-foot cargo ship, collided towards it within the early hours of Tuesday.
“We verify the protection of all crew members and two pilots aboard ‘Dali’, with one minor damage reported. The injured crew member has been handled and discharged from hospital,” a press release by house owners Grace Ocean Pte Ltd and ship supervisor of Dali, posted on the web site of ship administration firm Synergy Marine Group.
The identify and different particulars of the crew haven’t been launched.
Authorities from the US Coast Guard and Nationwide Transportation Security Board boarded the vessel to hold out investigations, it mentioned.
Synergy had mentioned in a press release Tuesday after the accident that Dali’s crew is “All Indian, 22 in whole.” “All crew members, together with the 2 pilots, have been accounted for and there are not any experiences of any accidents. There has additionally been no air pollution,” Synergy had mentioned. Synergy and Grace Ocean famous that “sadly”, the incident additionally impacted those that had been on the bridge on the time.
“As per the US Coast Guard (USCG), the search and rescue operation has been known as off for the evening. Six persons are presumed lifeless. We lengthen our deepest sympathies to everybody affected and their households. Our ideas are with them as we coordinate intently with the authorities to handle the incident’s aftermath, together with environmental impression assessments.”
The corporate’s Emergency Response Crew has been dispatched and is presently at Baltimore to help the continuing efforts to make sure crew security, preserve vessel integrity and facilitate the swift and secure reopening of the waterway, it mentioned.
It famous media experiences that US President Joe Biden and Maryland Governor Wes Moore had expressed “due to the vessel’s crew for issuing a mayday warning earlier than the impression, which they mentioned had most likely saved lives.”
Authorities too mentioned {that a} mayday name by the vessel’s crew enabled officers to cease vehicular visitors from coming onto the bridge, “undoubtedly” saving many extra lives. Building crews had been engaged on the bridge to restore potholes when the collision occurred. Two individuals had been rescued from the water, whereas six building staff remained lacking.
President Biden, in remarks on the White Home, mentioned “personnel on board the ship had been capable of alert the Maryland Division of Transportation that that they had misplaced management of their vessel … Because of this, native authorities had been capable of shut the bridge to visitors earlier than the bridge was struck, which undoubtedly saved lives.”
Biden mentioned he was sending all of the federal sources wanted to reply to the emergency. We will rebuild that port collectively,” he mentioned.
He pressured that “all the things to this point signifies” that this was a horrible accident. “Right now, we now have no different indication — no different cause to consider there was any intentional act right here,” Biden mentioned.
The vessel is owned by Grace Ocean Non-public Ltd and was outbound from Baltimore to Colombo and has a capability of 10,000 TEU, with onboard models totalling 4,679 TEU. The vessel’s deadweight is 116,851 DWT.
