Baltimore bridge collapse: Cargo ship ‘Dali’ lost power, issued mayday that helped save lives

The operators of a Singapore-flagged container ship “DALI” (IMO 9697428) lost power and issued a mayday call moments before ramming into the Francis Scott Key bridge in Baltimore, enabling authorities to limit vehicle traffic on the span, the Maryland governor Wes Moore said today. In response, the officials were able to slow the flow of traffic, preventing more vehicles from falling into the water.

Moore added that the bridge was “fully up to code” before the bridge collapse.

The container ship “DALI” crashed into the bridge in Baltimore early Tuesday at 1:27 a.m. ET (0527 GMT), causing it to snap in several places and plunge into the river below.

Two people were rescued, one unharmed and one critically injured, but six others were missing from the construction crew fixing potholes on the bridge, according to Maryland’s state’s transportation secretary. The ship collided with one of the bridge’s supports, causing the structure to break apart. The vessel caught fire after the incident.

The Francis Scott Key Bridge was one of three ways to cross the Baltimore Harbor and handled 31,000 cars per day or 11.3 million vehicles a year. Traffic was suspended at the port after the collision which could lead to major disruptions in shipping cars, coal and sugar as it is the busiest U.S. port for car shipments, according to data from the Maryland Port Administration. It is also the largest U.S. port by volume for handling farm and construction machinery, as well as agricultural products such as sugar and salt.

The Dali was headed from Baltimore to Colombo, Sri Lanka, and flying under a Singapore flag, according to data from Marine Traffic. Danish shipping giant Maersk said it had chartered the vessel, which was carrying its customers’ cargo and no Maersk crew and personnel were on board. The ship is 948 feet (289 meters) long and was stacked high with containers. The vessel Dali was also involved in a collision in 2016 in Antwerp, Belgium, according to Vessel Finder and the incident was blamed on the ship’s master and pilot on board as the weather was fine at the time.

The entire 22-member crew of the cargo ship are Indians, the company said. Ship management company Synergy Marine Group said all crew members, including the two pilots, have been accounted for and there are no reports of any injuries.

Maryland Governor Wes Moore declared a state of emergency earlier today, while also thanking those who are carrying out search and rescue operations.

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