The National Transportation Safety Board has confirmed that the container ship that knocked out Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge early Tuesday was carrying tons of hazardous materials.
Dangerous chemicals and other elements were exposed on the deck of the MV Dali as well as in the water of Baltimore Harbor.
Not all of the materials have been identified, but NTSB investigators said lithium batteries were aboard the ship, which was registered out of Singapore, WMAR-TV reported Wednesday.
According to the federal agency, some containers carrying hazardous materials were open on the ship’s deck and some ended up overboard when the Mali struck a bridge column, causing a massive span of the 47-year-old structure to come down in an instant.
An investigation is underway into exactly what kinds of toxins were leaked into the water, but a sheen on the surface of the bay had been observed.
During a news conference on Wednesday evening, NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said 56 containers totaling 764 tons of hazardous materials were aboard the ship.
“Some of the hazmat containers were breached. We have seen sheen on the waterway,” Homendy said.
Happening now: NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy says MV Dali was carrying 764 tons of hazardous materials, “mostly corrosives and flammables” and “some were breached.” pic.twitter.com/uyKZ31gA2H
— Pete Muntean (@petemuntean) March 28, 2024
Should the company that owns the Dali be forced to fund the cleanup?
It is unknown how long it will take to clean up the site, The Washington Post reported.
It also remained unknown on Thursday morning how long it would take to reopen Baltimore Harbor — one of the country’s busiest.
People are still missing from Tuesday’s disaster.
The bodies of two men who were presumed dead were found by search and rescue teams Wednesday, The Associated Press reported.
Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, 35, and Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, 26, were found in about 25 feet of water.
Their submerged pickup truck was on the bridge when it collapsed while the two men and others were repairing potholes.
Search teams are still trying to locate at least four other missing men.
BREAKING: Ship collides with Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, causing it to collapse pic.twitter.com/OcOrSjOCRn
— BNO News (@BNONews) March 26, 2024
Per the AP, investigators using sonar equipment cannot locate other trucks, leading them to believe those who remain missing are under the bridge debris.
What exactly caused the Mali to lose power and find itself on a collision course with the bridge remains unknown.
The ship’s crew members and captain have been speaking with NTSB investigators.
The agency said 23 people were aboard the Mali – a ship with a checkered past – during Tuesday’s deadly incident.
