A new report indicated that in the moments before a cargo ship struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore Harbor, the ship appeared to be drifting and was not under control.
Meanwhile, video of the 1:30 a.m. incident showed that the ship’s power appeared to go off and then on multiple times as it drifted into a support beam, knocking the bridge into the water.
Video posted to X showed that even before the cargo ship Dali struck the bridge, there appeared to be smoke coming from the ship.
A solid quick breakdown of the apparent multiple power failures on the ‘Dali’ ahead of impact with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, MD.
I’m looking to credit whoever created this. (Dm) pic.twitter.com/NV1zSQHYkU
— Moshe Schwartz (@YWNReporter) March 26, 2024
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An unclassified Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency report said the Dali “lost propulsion,” according to ABC.
The CISA report said the crew of the ship tried to warn authorities of what was taking place.
The crew notified officials that they had lost control, the report said.
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“The vessel notified MD Department of Transportation that they had lost control of the vessel and [a collision] with the bridge was possible,” the report said.
“The vessel struck the bridge causing a complete collapse,” the report said.
Aerial footage shows the cargo ship Dali covered in remnants of the Francis Scott Key Bridge after the vessel collided with one of the bridge’s beams, causing its collapse. https://t.co/YkM6nBxJBk pic.twitter.com/LR7iSGWppy
— CBS News (@CBSNews) March 26, 2024
The human toll of the collapse of the bridge is unclear, Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski said, according to CNN.
“The conditions are difficult. We’re talking about a deep channel port. It’s 40, 50 feet of water, strong currents. The weather is windy, the water is cold. And so we certainly worry about those who are in the water, not to mention the fall from the bridge,” he said.
He said that in addition to individuals working on the bridge, “We’ve also identified, with side-scanning sonar, that there were cars on the decks.”
“It feels like a nightmare for all of us in the greater Baltimore region,” he said.
The Dali, which is operated by Synergy Group and owned by Singapore-based Grace Ocean Pte., was chartered by Maersk and was bound for Sri Lanka, according to USA Today.
The Dali was scheduled to arrive in Sri Lanka early next month, according to global ship tracking service MarineTraffic.
Prayers for everyone affected by the Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore. 🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/jw6teXEFC8
— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) March 26, 2024
The @USCG was on the scene along with our state and local partners and is actively involved in search and rescue operations this morning. There are no indications this was an intentional act and we are assessing the impacts to the Port of Baltimore. (2/2)
— Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas (@SecMayorkas) March 26, 2024
According to CNN, the Dali has undergone 27 inspections since it was built in 2015.
A 2016 report noted that after it was involved in a collision in the Port of Antwerp, it had “hull damage impairing seaworthiness.”
In June 2023, Chile handed out a “deficiency” for “propulsion and auxiliary machinery — gauges, thermometers, etc,”
The U.S. Coast Guard in New York inspected the ship on Sept. 9 and found no deficiencies.
