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Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse

Dali 10 ½ hours after the collapse with remnants of the bridge's superstructure on its bow
Date	March 26, 2024; 9 months ago (2024-03-26)
Time	01:27 (EDT)
Location	Baltimore metropolitan area, Maryland, United States
Coordinates	39°13′1″N 76°31′42″W / 39.21694°N 76.52833°W / 39.21694; -76.52833
Type	Bridge collapse
Cause	Loss of propulsion on ship, leading to allision with pillar and subsequent collapse of the bridge truss.
Deaths	6 (presumed)
Non-fatal injuries	At least one
Property damage	Collapse of bridge spans Collision-related damage to Dali At least seven vehicles submerged

On March 26, 2024, at 01:27 EDT (05:27 UTC), the main spans of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, across the Patapsco River in Baltimore Harbor, Baltimore, Maryland, United States, collapsed after the container ship Dali struck one of its support pillars.

Baltimore City Fire Department officials said that at least seven vehicles fell into the water. Two people were recovered from the river; one declined medical treatment and the other was transported to a hospital in critical condition. Six members of a construction crew working on the roadway are reported missing and presumed to be dead.

Background

The Francis Scott Key Bridge, originally the Outer Harbor Crossing, was a steel arch-shaped continuous-through-truss bridge. It opened in 1977, running northeast from Hawkins Point, Baltimore, to Sollers Point, in Dundalk, and crossing the Patapsco River, a vital shipping route in the Port of Baltimore. The shipping route is one of the busiest in the United States; it handled more than 444,000 passengers as well as 52.3 million tons of foreign cargo valued at $80 billion in 2023. The 1.6 miles (2.6 km) long bridge carried four lanes of Interstate 695, a beltway around Baltimore, two in each direction, used by approximately 34,000 vehicles each day.

The MV Dali is a container ship built in 2015 with a length of 980 feet (300 m), a 157-foot (48 m) beam, and a 40-foot (12.2 m) draft. Registered in Singapore and owned by a Greek shipping company, Dali had previously traveled from Panama to the U.S., arriving in New York on March 19, 2024. It then sailed to the Virginia International Gateway in Portsmouth, Virginia before departing for Baltimore on March 22, arriving there on March 23.

The vessel had been chartered by Maersk since its delivery in early 2015. The 22 members of the ship's crew on board were Indian nationals, and the ship was being piloted by two local maritime pilots.

The main shipping channel under the bridge was estimated to be 50 feet (15 m) deep, while National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) charts show the depth at the bridge supports to be approximately 30 feet (9.1 m) deep. NOAA reported a water temperature of 47 °F (8 °C) at the time of the collapse.

Collapse

Dali left the Port of Baltimore at 00:44 EDT on March 26, 2024, bound for Colombo, Sri Lanka. Shortly afterwards, the crew notified the Maryland Department of Transportation that they had lost control of the vessel and an allision with the bridge was possible, citing a loss of propulsion. A mayday was issued and further traffic was stopped from crossing the bridge. The ship's lights were seen to go out and then come on again some moments later, and smoke was also seen coming from Dali's funnel. The ship dropped its anchors as per emergency procedure. At 01:27, the ship struck a support column of the bridge, beneath its metal truss and at the south-west end of its largest span, at 8 knots (15 km/h). The bridge strike and partial collapse were recorded on video. AIS data shows the ship traveling at a speed of 8.7 knots (16.1 km/h) at 01:25 before departing the channel and slowing to 6.8 knots (12.6 km/h) by time of the allision two minutes later.

The bridge broke apart in several places, leaving sections protruding from the water and the roadway's approaches cut off. A section of the bridge came to rest on the tip of the bow of Dali. Multiple vehicles were on the bridge at the time it collapsed, though no one was believed to be inside them. Paul Wiedefeld, the Maryland Secretary of Transportation, said that workers were repairing potholes on the bridge at the time of the collapse. A resident living near the bridge recalled being awakened by deep rumbling that shook his residence for several seconds following the collapse, which he said "felt like an earthquake."

Emergency teams began receiving 911 calls at 01:30. The Baltimore Police Department was alerted to the collapse at 01:35. Large-scale rescue and recovery efforts were initiated. The United States Coast Guard deployed boats and a helicopter as part of rescue efforts. Rescue divers were also dispatched to search for people who fell into the river. A total of 50 divers divided into eight teams were deployed in rescue efforts.

Structural aspects

The collision of Dali with the southern main truss-support pillar brought down the entire truss span and destroyed the pillar. Furthermore, as a continuous truss bridge that relied on its overall structure to maintain integrity, when the south and central spans collapsed, the northern component (the third span) soon followed. Each failure sequence took seconds, and within 30 seconds the entirety of the central span had fallen into the river. The bridge was determined to be up to code when it collapsed.

Casualties

At a press conference at 06:30 P.M. EDT, Baltimore Fire Chief James Wallace said that at least two people were rescued from the river, one of whom was in "very serious" condition, while another person was said to have walked off with no injuries. Six people – all part of the construction crew working on the bridge – are reported missing. At least one body was recovered.

Wallace also said that sonar had detected submerged vehicles in the river, adding that emergency services were also using drones and infrared technology in search efforts. At around 10:55, Wallace confirmed that five vehicles on the riverbed had been marked using infrared and side-scan sonar technology.

Synergy Marine Group, which operates Dali, said that the ship's crew, including its two pilots, had been accounted for and did not sustain any injuries.

Ship damage

The Dali is impaled in the bridge, several shipping containers fell into the water, and there is hull damage above the waterline. However, the ship remains watertight, and there was no pollution following the incident.

Investigation

External videos
Press conference with NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy, March 26, 2024, C-SPAN

The National Transportation Safety Board announced that it had begun an investigation and that it had sent a team to the site. The Federal Bureau of Investigation was also deployed to the scene but said that terrorism was not suspected in the incident.

Singapore's Transport Safety Investigation Bureau and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore said its personnel were headed to Baltimore to assist in investigations. The latter body said it reached out to the NTSB, Coast Guard and Office of Marine Safety to offer support.

Aftermath

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said that he was in contact with Maryland Governor Wes Moore and Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott to offer the department's support and advised drivers to follow detour routes. Moore declared a state of emergency shortly thereafter, and Wiedefeld ordered the suspension of all shipping to and from the Port of Baltimore until further notice (trucking facilities remained operational). Stellantis and General Motors released statements saying that they are planning to divert vehicle imports to other ports, and Toyota reported that some of their exports could be affected.

Roads leading into Baltimore via routes in the vicinity of the bridge were closed. Road traffic was able to cross the river via the Fort McHenry and Baltimore Harbor tunnels, although vehicles carrying hazardous loads are not permitted. Advisories were issued to motorists as far away as Virginia warning of traffic delays caused by the bridge collapse. The disaster also blocked maritime access to the Port of Baltimore and trapped several vessels inside the harbor.

External videos
Remarks by U.S. President Joe Biden on the bridge collapse, March 26, 2024, C-SPAN

At 08:09, the Federal Aviation Administration announced the establishment of a temporary flight restriction around the area of the bridge collapse, effective from 08:15, also applying to drones. President Joe Biden was also briefed on the disaster. In an address later that day, Biden said that he would ask Congress to fund the bridge's reconstruction.

Maersk, which chartered the vessel, saw its shares decline by about 2% when trading opened at Nasdaq Copenhagen on March 26. At 11:28, Maersk executives said the company was pausing all service to Baltimore for the foreseeable future.

Some social media users shared misinformation and conspiracy theories about the bridge collapse, including an alleged screenshot from the corresponding Misplaced Pages article that was edited to claim Israel was involved.

See also

• List of bridge failures
• Sunshine Skyway Bridge collapse – similar incident in 1980 caused by a bulk carrier colliding with a bridge support
• Tasman Bridge disaster – a similar incident in 1975 caused by a bulk carrier colliding with a bridge support

References

1. ^ "What we know about Baltimore Key Bridge collapse as seven people still missing". The Independent. March 26, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
2. ^ "Baltimore Key Bridge: Rescuers searching river after Baltimore bridge collapse". BBC News. March 26, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024. (14:15 UTC) Six people are unaccounted for, officials tell reporters. This is down from a previous report of seven.
3. ^ "Rescuers are searching for multiple people in the water after Baltimore bridge collapse, report says". CNN. March 26, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
4. ^ Wells, Ciara (March 26, 2024). "Part of Key Bridge in Baltimore collapses after large boat collision, vehicles submerged". WTOP. Archived from the original on March 26, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
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7. Yoon, John (March 26, 2024). "Cargo Ship Hits Key Bridge in Baltimore, Triggering Partial Collapse". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 26, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
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15. ^ Moses, Claire; Gross, Jenny (March 26, 2024). "The Dali was just starting a 27-day voyage". Retrieved March 26, 2024.
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28. "Baltimore Key Bridge collapse, in pictures". BBC. March 26, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
29. Shalvey, Kevin (March 26, 2024). "Ship strikes Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge causing partial collapse, Maryland officials say". ABC News. Archived from the original on March 26, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
30. Mascarenhas, Melissa Alonso; Wolfe, Lauren Elizabeth (March 26, 2024). "Cargo ship lost power before colliding with Baltimore bridge; 6 remain missing after collapse". CNN. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
31. "Major Baltimore bridge collapses after being hit by ship". BBC News. March 26, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
32. Cai, Weiyi; Chang, Agnes; Leatherby, Lauren (March 26, 2024). "How the Key Bridge Collapsed in Baltimore: Maps and Photos". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
33. Ng, Greg (March 26, 2024). "'Key Bridge is gone': Ship strike destroys bridge, state of emergency declared". WBAL. Archived from the original on March 26, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
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37. ^ "'DALI', Francis Scott Key Bridge Incident". Synergy Marine Group. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
38. ^ Shalvey, Kevin; Hutchinson, Bill (March 26, 2024). "What we know about Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse". ABC News.
39. @NTSB_Newsroom (March 26, 2024). "NTSB is launching a go team to investigate the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. Media briefing to be held later today at a time and location TBD, which will be announced on this feed" (Tweet). Retrieved March 26, 2024 – via Twitter.
40. "Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse live updates: Ship hits major Baltimore bridge with construction crew on it". NBC News. March 26, 2024.
41. Buttigieg, Pete (March 26, 2024). "I've spoken with Gov. Moore and Mayor Scott to offer USDOT's support following the vessel strike and collapse of the Francis Scott Key bridge. Rescue efforts remain underway and drivers in the Baltimore area should follow local responder guidance on detours and response" (Tweet). Retrieved March 26, 2024 – via Twitter.
42. "Containership Hits Baltimore Bridge Causing Collapse and Casualties". The Maritime Executive.
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44. Cai, Weiyi; Chang, Agnes; Leatherby, Lauren (March 26, 2024). "How the Key Bridge Collapsed in Baltimore: Maps and Photos". The New York Times. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
45. "4/1803 NOTAM Details". tfr.faa.gov. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
46. "Biden pledges support for Baltimore in wake of Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse". ABC News. March 26, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
47. Basu, Zachary; Fischer, Sara (March 26, 2024). "Misinformation runs rampant after Baltimore bridge collapse". Axios.
48. Czopek, Madison (March 26, 2024). "Edited Misplaced Pages entry provides proof that "Israelis deployed Talmudic network to take out" Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge". Politifact. Retrieved March 26, 2024.

External links

• Video of bridge collapse from The Guardian

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