Baltimore bridge collapses after strike
Biden says government will cover rebuild costs, 6 people still missing
Charles Ventura, Thao Nguyen, Susan Miller, Christopher Cann and Jorge L. Ortiz
BALTIMORE − A massive search effort was underway Tuesday for six construction workers who were on the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore when it was struck by a large cargo vessel and collapsed into the Patapsco River, shutting down a critical artery for East Coast shipping.
Around 1:30 a.m. a Singapore-flagged vessel named Dali struck the Key Bridge as it was leaving the Port of Baltimore, causing the span to collapse in seconds. Officials said the crew warned of a power issue and sent out a “mayday” before the collision. Footage of the incident shows the cargo ship smash into one of the columns before the bridge snapped, hit the water and partially fell on the ship, where a burst of flames and smoke could be seen rising into the night sky.
Several vehicles were on the bridge at the time of impact and plunged into the river, which was measured Tuesday at 48 degrees Fahrenheit, cold enough to cause hypothermia. There were multiple contractors on the bridge who were repairing potholes, Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld said. So far two people have been rescued. One was unharmed and the other remains in “very serious condition,” he said.
The University of Maryland Medical Center's trauma center treated one patient from the collapse who has been discharged, Michael Schwartzberg, the medical center's spokesperson, said in an email. Schwartzberg declined to say more about the person's injuries, citing patient privacy concerns.
Jennifer Homendy, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, said at an afternoon news conference the agency will lead the investigation, but that she would not provide information on fatalities or injuries from the incident, leaving that to local authorities.
Asked the priority beyond the search-and-rescue operation being conducted by the Coast Guard, she said, “Right now it's about people. It's about families and addressing the needs of those that were impacted, that's the focus.”
The ship's crew remained on the Dali, which needed to be assessed for damage before rescuers could board it, said James Wallace, chief of the Baltimore
City Fire Department. The vessel was carrying cargo for the major shipping company Maersk and was scheduled to arrive in Sri Lanka early next month.
A senior U.S. official who was not authorized to speak publicly told USA TODAY the ship apparently lost power a few minutes before striking the bridge. An unclassified Department of Homeland Security report said Tuesday that the Dali lost propulsion leaving port and its crew lost control of the ship, prompting the crew to alert Maryland officials of a possible collision.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said once the mayday was issued, officials onsite stopped cars from coming over the bridge. “These people are heroes,” he said. “They saved lives last night.”
He declared a state of emergency earlier Tuesday and said he was working with an interagency team to “quickly deploy federal resources from the Biden administration.”
All vessel traffic in and out of the Port of Baltimore was suspended until further notice, but the port remained open for truck transports, Wiedefeld said.
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott issued a state of emergency to mobilize resources and work quickly to “address this crisis,” he said in a post on X.
President Joe Biden said he intends for the federal government to cover the cost to rebuild the bridge, and he committed not to leave “until this job gets done.”
“We're with you. We're going to stay with you as long as it takes,” Biden said Tuesday afternoon from the White House Roosevelt Room.
Biden said he spoke with Moore and other local and state officials about the bridge's collapse, and said he would visit the site in the future. “I told them we're going to send all the federal resources they need as we respond to this emergency − I mean all the federal resources. And we're going to rebuild that port together.”
The container vessel was chartered by the major shipping company Maersk and was carrying its cargo, the company said. When it crashed into the bridge, no Maersk crew and personnel were onboard the vessel, which is operated by charter vessel company Synergy Group and owned by Singaporebased Grace Ocean Pte.
“We are horrified by what has happened in Baltimore, and our thoughts are with all of those affected,” Maersk said in a statement. “We are closely following the investigations conducted by authorities and Synergy, and we will do our utmost to keep our customers informed.”
U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Erin Palmer said at a news conference Tuesday that the agencies remain focused on search and rescue. She did not comment on the crew of the ship or provide additional details about the collision.
All vessel traffic in and out of the Port of Baltimore was suspended until further notice, but the port remained open for truck transports, Wiedefeld said.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge, named for the author of the “Star Spangled Banner,” opened in 1977. It spans 1.6 miles, has four lanes, and is the outermost of three major Patapsco River crossings at Baltimore Harbor, according to the American Civil Engineering Society.
The steel-arched bridge was the second-longest continuous-truss bridge span in the world when it was built and remains the second longest in the nation and third in the world, according to the society.
The Key Bridge was listed in overall fair condition in 2021, the most recent inspection report in the Federal Highway Administration's National Bridge Inventory at the time of its collapse.
Other structural elements showed “some minor deterioration” but were otherwise in satisfactory condition.
Contributing: Eve Chen, Daniel De Vise, Phaedra Trethan, Eduardo Cuevas, N’dea Yancey-Bragg, Joey Garrison, Cecilia Garzella, Yoonserk Pyun and Tom Vanden Brook, USA TODAY; Reuters