Cargo Ship that Brought Down Baltimore Bridge

On March 26th local time, in the early hours of the morning, the container ship "Dali" collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, USA, causing the collapse of most of the bridge and multiple people and vehicles to fall into the water.

According to the Associated Press, the Baltimore City Fire Department described the collapse as a major casualty event. Kevin Cartwright, communications director for the Baltimore Fire Department, said, "Around 1:30 a.m., we received multiple 911 calls reporting that a ship had struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, causing the bridge to collapse. We are currently searching for at least 7 people who fell into the river." According to the latest information from CNN, local rescue personnel stated that as many as 20 people fell into the water due to the collapse of the bridge.

The "Dali" was built in 2015 with a capacity of 9962 TEUs. At the time of the incident, the ship was sailing from the port of Baltimore to the next port, having previously called at several ports in China and the United States, including Yantian, Xiamen, Ningbo, Yangshan, Busan, New York, Norfolk, and Baltimore.

Synergy Marine Group, the ship management company of the "Dali", confirmed the accident in a statement. The company stated that all crew members have been found and there have been no reports of casualties, "although the exact cause of the accident has yet to be determined, the vessel has initiated qualified personal accident response services."

According to Caijing Lianhe, given the critical disruption on a key artery of the highway around Baltimore, this disaster could cause chaos for shipping and road transport at one of the busiest ports on the East Coast of the United States. By cargo throughput and value, the Port of Baltimore is one of the largest ports in the United States. It is the largest port for automobile and light truck shipments in the United States. There are currently at least 21 vessels west of the collapsed bridge, about half of which are tugboats. There are also at least three bulk carriers, one vehicle transport ship, and one small oil tanker.

The collapse of the bridge not only affects local commuters but also poses challenges for freight transportation, especially with the Easter holiday weekend approaching. The Port of Baltimore, known for its high volume of imports and exports, is facing direct operational obstacles.