Update from 8 May 2024: The tragic incident occurred at the end of March when the container ship "Dali" rammed into a support pillar of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing the four-lane motorway bridge, which is over 2.5 kilometres long, to collapse. Two people were saved, but six construction workers of Latin American origin lost their lives. These workers were carrying out repair work on the bridge at the time of the accident. The wrecked ship "Dali" is still at the scene of the accident, but is to be brought into the harbour of Baltimore in the coming days so that shipping traffic can resume normally. To do this, the bridge debris lying on the ship must be removed. At the same time, an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the accident. The 21-strong crew of the "Dali", who are said to come from India, Ukraine and Sri Lanka, are still on board the ship.
The insurer "Chubb", which insured the Francis Scott Key Bridge, is about to pay out 350 million dollars to the state of Maryland. This could be the first major payment in connection with the bridge collapse. The American industry portal Insurance Journal reports on this development, citing the Reuters agency.
Update from 28/03/2024: According to the Maryland State Police, two bodies were recovered by divers two days after the collapse of the bridge over Baltimore harbour. They were two men from Guatemala and Mexico, aged 26 and 35. The deceased were part of a six-man construction team that was working on the bridge during the accident.
Update from 27/03/2024: According to the authorities, infrared and sonar technology is being used in the search. Five vehicles have now been identified in the water, including three cars and a concrete mixer. It is not known whether there were any people in the vehicles. However, the search for them has now been suspended. The risk of injury for the rescue teams was said to be too great. The water temperature is said to be around nine degrees. Officials have already confirmed six deaths. N-tv also reported, citing information from the New York Times, that the Dali 2023 was found to have defects in the propulsion engine during an inspection in Chile. This was discovered by an expert during an inspection.
First message from 26/03/2024: These are images straight out of an action film. The container ship "Dali" is heading towards a pillar of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore without any visible evasive manoeuvre. Cars can clearly be seen travelling on the bridge. The "Dali" rams into the pillar and it only takes seconds for most of the bridge to collapse. Some of the cars disappear into the Patapsco River.
20 people are wanted
The first emergency calls were received at around 1.30 a.m. local time. The Maryland Department of Transportation also confirmed that workers were carrying out repair work on the bridge at the time of the accident. However, it is not known how many were involved. James Wallace, Chief of the Baltimore Fire Department, confirmed that a search was underway for at least 20 people who had fallen into the water and were missing after the accident with the container ship.
Five hours after the motorway bridge collapsed, rescue workers were able to pull two survivors from the water. One was uninjured, the other was taken to hospital with serious injuries, said Wallace. The number of victims could still rise, Wallace said, adding that it was a "very large accident".
The low temperatures are a cause for concern, and not just because of the chances of survival of the casualties, said fire service spokesman Kevin Cartwright. In addition to the fire brigade, rescue teams from the US Coast Guard and a diving team are also working to rescue survivors from the Patapsco River if possible. The outside temperature feels like minus one degree centigrade or less, the water temperature is nine degrees centigrade, explained Cartwright. "That can also be a problem and a risk for our divers."
There is absolutely no indication that the collision was intentional." Baltimore Police Chief Richard Worley.
Crew of container ship safe and sound
According to the owners, the crew of the ship is in good health. There were no injuries on board, according to a statement obtained by the New York Times. The owners confirmed the incident. The ship, named "Dali", had rammed into one of the bridge piers. The cause of the collision has yet to be clarified.
As several US media outlets reported, citing the Coast Guard, the "Dali" is a container ship that was supposed to sail from Baltimore to Sri Lanka under the Singapore flag. The ship is said to be around 290 metres long. The Marinetraffic portal reported that the "Dali" left the port of Baltimore at 1 a.m. (local time).
Video recordings on online services showed how the illuminated bridge collapsed into the Patapsco River after the collision with the container ship. First, the rammed bridge pier collapsed, then the entire steel structure deformed in a wave motion and collapsed into the river in sections.
The bridge
As part of Interstate 695, the four-lane Francis Scott Key Bridge crosses the Patapsco River southwest of Baltimore's city centre. It was opened in 1977 in the industrial and harbour city on the east coast of the USA and is used by more than eleven million vehicles every year. It is around 2.7 kilometres long and crosses the Patapsco River. It owes its name to the American Francis Scott Key. He wrote the lyrics to today's American national anthem "The Star-Spangled Banner".
The FBI announced after the disaster: "At this time, there is no concrete evidence to suggest a link to terrorism." The investigation is ongoing.
What does the accident mean for the US economy?
According to US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, the US is facing far-reaching problems in the supply chain following the accident. These affect not only the region around Baltimore, but the entire US economy. Until its collapse, the bridge was one of the most important transport arteries on the east coast of the USA. According to US President Joe Biden, around 30,000 vehicles travelled over it every day. The consequences for the city's harbour, which is largely located behind the bridge, are likely to be even worse. Following the incident, the responsible harbour authority has suspended shipping traffic until further notice. According to Biden, this is one of the most important seaports in the USA - especially for the import and export of cars and small lorries. Around 850,000 vehicles are shipped through the port of Baltimore every year. Around 15,000 jobs depend on this.
