A major bridge in the US city of Baltimore collapsed on Tuesday after a boat collided with another.
New York:
The Indian embassy in Washington has expressed its condolences over the “unfortunate accident” after a cargo ship lost power and hit a major Baltimore bridge on Tuesday, destroying the span within seconds and plunging into the river in a horrific collapse , which may disrupt the normal operation of the entire bridge. An important shipping port for several months. Six people are missing.
Maryland’s governor said the ship’s all-Indian crew, 22 in total, sent a distress call shortly before the crash on the Francis Scott Key Bridge, allowing authorities to restrict vehicular traffic on the bridge.
The owners and managers of the Singapore-flagged container ship “Dali” reported that the ship, under the guidance of two pilots, encountered the Baltimore Francis Scott Key at about 1:30 a.m. local time on March 26. A pillar of the bridge collided. Ship management company Synergy Marine Group said in a statement.
“We express our heartfelt condolences to all those affected by the tragic incident at the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore,” the Indian Embassy said in a post on X.
The embassy said a dedicated hotline has been set up for “any Indian citizen who may be affected/needs assistance”.
The embassy is ascertaining details about the ship’s crew.
We offer our sincere condolences to all those affected by the tragic accident on the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.
For any Indian citizens who may be affected/need assistance, the Indian Embassy has set up a dedicated hotline: please contact us at +1-202-717-1996. …
— India in America (@IndianEmbassyUS) March 26, 2024
According to ship management company Synergy Marine Group, the Dali has an “all-India” crew of 22 on board.
The ship, which was traveling from Baltimore to Colombo, hit a 1.6-mile-long, four-lane bridge in Baltimore early Tuesday morning. Shortly after the collision, the bridge collapsed and the cargo ship crashed.
Grace Ocean Private Ltd owns the vessel with a capacity of 10,000 TEU and a total of 4,679 TEU of units on board. The ship has a deadweight tonnage of 116,851 DWT.
US President Joe Biden said crews alerted shipping crews that the vessel was out of control, allowing authorities to shut down traffic on the Baltimore Bridge before a devastating collision, “undoubtedly” saving lives.
“The people on the boat were able to alert the Maryland Department of Transportation that they had lost control of the vessel. So local authorities were able to close the bridge before it was struck, which undoubtedly saved lives,” Biden said at the White House on Baltimore Francis ·Said in a speech on the Scott Key Bridge collapse incident.
Biden said the investigation so far into the collision shows “this was a horrific accident. At this time, we have no other indication and no other reason to believe that there was any intentional behavior here.”
Biden said that two people had been rescued from the scene, one of whom was seriously injured, and that the search for six other people was ongoing.
“We will provide all the federal resources they need as they respond to this emergency. I mean all federal resources, and together we will rebuild the port,” Biden said.
Biden said the Port of Baltimore is one of the largest shipping hubs in the United States and handled record volumes of cargo last year.
“It is also the largest port for the import and export of cars and light trucks in the United States, with approximately 850,000 vehicles passing through the port each year,” he said.
“We’re going to get it back up and running as quickly as possible,” Biden said, adding that thousands of jobs depend on the port. “We’re going to do everything we can to protect these jobs and help these workers.” Biden noted that the bridge is also critical for travel, not just to Baltimore but to the Northeast Corridor. He said more than 30,000 vehicles cross the Francis Scott Key Bridge every day and it is one of the most important elements of the Northeast’s economy.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said crews alerted authorities to “electrical issues” before the crash, adding that the call allowed crews to prevent more vehicles from entering the bridge.
“We can confirm that the crew notified authorities of the electrical issues,” Moore told reporters.
Moore was asked whether the Daly’s crew notified authorities that it had lost propulsion and was in distress.
Asked if the crew lost power on board, Moore responded: “Yes.”
Moore said the ship was coming “at a very high speed.”
The vessel lost power and struck the bridge, causing the span to collapse into the river below and plunging construction crews and several vehicles into dangerously cold waters.
“We do understand that the investigation is ongoing at the moment. But I have to say I’m grateful to those people who, once the warning came out, once the notification came out on Mayday, they were actually able to stop the car. “They are heroes and they saved lives last night,” he explain.
Moore added that the initial investigation “suggests this was an accident. We have not seen any credible evidence of a terrorist attack.”
The U.S. Coast Guard and local officials have been notified, and owners and managers are fully cooperating with federal and state agencies in accordance with the approved plan.
“We are shocked by what happened in Baltimore and our thoughts are with everyone affected,” Maersk said in a statement.
“We can confirm that the container ship ‘Dali’, operated by charter company Synergy Group, is time chartered by Maersk and is carrying cargo for Maersk customers. There are no Maersk crew or personnel on board,” the statement said.
“We are closely monitoring the investigation by authorities and Synergy, and we will do our best to keep customers informed,” the company said.
Governor Moore said emergency crews are on the scene following the collapse of the Francis Scott Bridge and his office is working with U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, Baltimore County Executive Chief Johnny Olszewski remains in close contact with the Baltimore Fire Department.
Moore has declared a state of emergency in Maryland and said: “We are working with an interagency team to deploy federal resources from the Biden administration.” He said: “We will continue to maintain contact with federal, state and local entities conducting relief efforts. Stay in close contact as we continue to assess and respond to this tragedy.”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
