A state of emergency was called on Tuesday (26 March) morning in Maryland, USA, after a container ship struck the Francis Scott Key bridge.
The ship was heading to Colombo, Sri Lanka, and departed the Baltimore port at 12.45am local time.
Container ship Dali lost all power minutes before its collision with the famous bridge around 1.30am, as it destroyed the bridge within seconds.
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Luckily, none of the 22 crew members onboard were injured, as rescue services also reported that 'several vehicles' and numerous people had fallen into the Patapsco River.
A Baltimore City Fire Department spokesperson later declared a 'mass casualty event', as the number of people who were on the bridge at the time of the accident is still being determined.
It was reported that there was a team of eight construction workers on the bridge, who were fixing potholes.
Following the shock incident, two people who fell into the icy water have been rescued as searches for other bodies are currently on-going.
Live footage captured the events, but onlookers managed to capture the aftermath of the collision on their phones, with one particular witness sharing his shock.
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However, the incident could have been a lot worse, had it not been for hero workers who closed the bridge beforehand.
The ship was attempting to depart the harbour when it struck a column of the 1.6 mile bridge.
Footage showed the container ship Dali's lights flickering then shutting down before hitting the bridge.
When the motor failed onboard, multiple alarms blared, alerting crew and the two pilots as the ship continued towards the bridge.
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According to CBS News, the crew ran numerous tests to try and get propulsion back following an issue with the motor.
Following these failed efforts, the pilot immediately alerted the Baltimore transportation authorities.
Maryland Governor Wes Moore credited the ship's crew, as transport officials halted traffic going over the bridge following the warning.
Moore stated: “I have to say I’m thankful for the folks who once the point came up and notification came up, that there was a mayday,
“Who literally by being able to stop cars from coming over the bridge, these people are heroes. They saved lives.”
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Synergy Marine Group, the technical manager for the Singapore cargo ship revealed in a statement that they are unsure about what caused the collision, as they continue to work with government agencies.
The bridge, which was named after the poet who wrote the words to the US national anthem, opened in 1977 and would see 11.3 million vehicles cross every year.
Helen Delich Bentley Port is now set to be shut down for some time, as authorities search for the bridge's debris.
US President Joe Biden addressed the situation: “We’re going to do everything we can to protect those jobs and help those workers.”
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“It’s going to take some time, but the people of Baltimore can count on us though to stick with them every step of the way, ‘til the port is reopened and the bridge is rebuilt.
“We’re not leaving until this job gets done."
Topics: US News
Joshua Nair