A container ship rammed into a major bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, early Tuesday. The overpass snapped and plunged into the river below. Responders searched for survivors.
Synergy Marine Group owns and manages the cargo ship involved in the collision. Synergy confirmed the MV Dali hit a pillar of the Francis Scott Key Bridge at about 1:30 a.m.
At the time, two pilots were at the helm. The pilots issued a mayday call moments before slamming into the bridge. The warning enabled authorities to limit vehicle traffic on the span.
Thankfully, the accident happened in the wee hours of the morning. During the day, thousands of cars traverse the span.
The structure snapped and buckled at several points. It tumbled into the water in a matter of seconds. The vessel then caught fire, producing thick, black smoke.
Rescuers reached two people in the water under the bridge. One is in serious condition, according to Baltimore Fire Chief James Wallace.
Eight people were on the bridge at the time of the collision and six remained unaccounted for, Paul Wiedefeld said hours after the collision. Wiedefeld is the state’s transportation secretary. Work crews were repairing potholes on the bridge at the time of the collapse. Sonar detected vehicles under the water, which was about 50 feet deep at that point.
Synergy says all crew members, including the pilots, are accounted for. There are no reports of injuries on the ship.
It’s difficult to see people suffer. Yet Christians know that God is always in control and that His purposes will stand. (Isaiah 46:10) We can pray for the workers, their families, and those performing rescue operations.
Kevin Cartwright, communications director of the Baltimore Fire Department, says that several vehicles were on the bridge at the time of the collapse. One was the size of a tractor-trailer truck. And some cargo appeared to be dangling from the bridge over the Patapsco River.
The river leads to the Port of Baltimore, a major hub for shipping on the East Coast. Traffic has been suspended at the Port of Baltimore until further notice, officials say. Opened in 1977, the bridge is named for the writer of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” It is one of three ways to cross the Baltimore Harbor. Around 31,000 cars cross per day.
Dali was headed from Baltimore to Colombo, Sri Lanka. It was flying under the flag of Singapore, according to data from Marine Traffic. The ship is about 985 feet long and 157 feet wide.
Maryland Governor Wes Moore declared a state of emergency. He is working to get federal resources deployed. The FBI is also on the scene.
“Never would you think that you would see, physically see, the Key Bridge tumble down like that. It looked like something out of an action movie,” says Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott. He calls it “an unthinkable tragedy.”
I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am the Lord, who does all these things. — Isaiah 45:7
