#baltimore key bridge collapse

[eightopals]

What Happened to Baltimore’s Key Bridge?

#baltimore key bridge collapse #baltimore #disaster #Youtube

[odinsblog]

The crew of a massive container ship that crashed into the Francis Scott Key bridge in Baltimore early Tuesday warned of power issues before the collision, which caused the bridge to collapse into the frigid Patapsco River, officials said.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said the warning from the ship’s crew likely saved lives.

“We’re thankful that between the mayday and the collapse, that we had officials who were able to begin to stop the flow of traffic so more cars were not on the bridge,” Moore said. He called those officials heroes.

Moore noted that the bridge was up to code at the time of the collapse. He said the collapse was a “shocking and heartbreaking” event for the people of Maryland who have used the bridge for 47 years.

(continue reading)

#i was in dc this weekend for a funeral #we bounced over to baltimore to visit some family friends from childhood #i drove over that bridge twice!! #francis scott key bridge #baltimore #bridge collapse #baltimore bridge #glen burnie #i dont think it was an infrastructure problem #but if oversized cargo ships can gain that much momentum #then maybe they should be required to come to a complete stop #prior to going under a commuter bridge #that or maximum ship size requirements by bridge #or maybe use tugboats?? #it seems more like a regulation issue #and yes - even if it was an accident #someone still needs to be held accountable #or it may happen again #a very similar incident happened in my hometown #i think about 4 or 5yrs before i was born #sunshine skyway bridge

[slyandthefamilybook]

okay because I'm seeing some misinfo, here's the story on the Key Bridge collapse

What was the Key Bridge?

The Francis Scott Key Bridge (also called the Key Bridge, the Beltway Bridge, and the Outer Harbor Crossing) was steel-arch continuous-through-truss bridge spanning the Patapsco River south of the Baltimore Harbor. The bridge took 5 years to build and cost an estimated $145 million ($735 million in today's dollars). The full bridge project (including approaches) was 10.9 miles long, but the stretch over the Patapsco was 1.6 miles long and 4 lanes wide, and comprised a length of I-695, the Baltimore Beltway. It traveled between Hawkins Point and Dundalk, and in addition to the I-895 Harbor Tunnel was the primary way for Marylanders to cross from the Eastern Shore to the West. The bridge carried an estimated 11.5 million vehicles per year. There is a lane for ships to pass under the Key Bridge with enough clearance.

Was it structurally sound?

The bridge received its latest inspection in 2022 and received a 6/9 score, which is considered "fair" by federal standards. There was a concern with one of its columns, which was downgraded from a health index of 77.8 to 65.9, but it is not clear yet if this was one of the columns struck by the ship. In 1980 the bridge was struck by a different cargo ship which destroyed a concrete support structure, but the bridge itself was unharmed. There is as of yet no evidence that the bridge collapsed because of poor condition. Experts say the lesson to be learned is about the size and weight of modern cargo ships, and that the bridge was not to blame. Engineers have noted, however, that the bridge's piers lacked protective devices such as fenders.

What was the ship?

The MV Dali is a container ship flying the Singapore flag. It is owned by Grace Ocean Private Ltd. and operated by Synergy Marine Group Ltd. The ship is currently being chartered by Maersk, a Dutch shipping company. It was built in 2015 by Hyundai. The ship is 980 feet long and 157 feet wide. The ship's gross tonnage (its internal volume) is 95,128 tons (190,256,000 pounds). Its deadweight (the weight of cargo it can carry) is 116,851 tons (233,702,000 pounds). The ship was carrying 3,000 containers. The engine is a MAN-B&W 9S90ME putting out 41,480 kilowatts (55,626 horsepower).

Over its lifetime the Dali has been inspected 27 times, and only 2 faults were ever found. On June 27, 2023 the Dali was held in port in Chile due to an issue with the propulsion system. According to an inspector the pressure gauges on the heating system were "unreadable". The fault was fixed before the ship left port.

The Dali is crewed by 22 Indian nationals including 2 maritime pilots.

What happened?

The Dali arrived at the Port of Baltimore on March 23, 2024. At 12:44 AM on March 26, 2024 the Dali left port, beginning its journey to Colombo, Sri Lanka. At 01:26 AM the ship suffered a "complete blackout" and began to drift out of the shipping lane. It is not yet known what caused the electrical failure. The backup generator did not power the propulsion system. At around 01:26 AM the crew of the Dali sent a mayday distress call to the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) informing them of the loss of power and that a collision with the Key Bridge was possible. The anchors were dropped as an emergency measure to attempt to slow or stop the vessel. At the request of one of the pilots traffic flow over the bridge was immediately halted. Black smoke was seen coming from the Dali, which experts believe was the result of the crew managing to restart the power system to regain some maneuvering capability.

At 01:28 AM the Dali, traveling at 8 knots (considered to be a fast speed) collided with a support strut beneath the Key Bridge's metal truss at the southwest end of the bridge. A Baltimore resident said he heard the collision and that it "felt like an earthquake". Emergency teams began receiving 911 calls at 01:30 AM, and the Baltimore Police Department were alerted at 01:35 AM. One of the officers present radioed that he was going to go onto the bridge to alert the construction crew as soon as a second officer arrived, but the bridge collapsed seconds later.

What was the damage?

The Key Bridge has completely collapsed. The metal truss relies on structural tension from the bridge itself to maintain its rigidity. As soon as one of the support columns was destroyed, the rest of the bridge quickly followed.

The damage to the Dali is reported as minimal. The ship was impaled by the bridge's structure above the waterline, but has maintained watertight integrity. The crew has not reported any water contamination from its 1.8 million gallons of marine fuel. 13 containers carrying potentially hazardous material were damaged, and are being inspected by a team of Coast Guard divers. At least 5 vehicles including 3 passenger cars and a cement mixer were detected underwater, but authorities do not believe they were occupied

Who was hurt?

The crew of the Dali reports no casualties, except one crewmember who was hospitalized for minor injuries. There was a crew of 8 construction workers on the Key Bridge filling in potholes. 2 were immediately pulled from the water by rescue crews, with 1 being rushed to emergency care and the other reporting minor injuries and refusing treatment. The hospitalized worker has since been discharged. 1 of those rescued was Mexican. The remaining 6 remain missing. Of those 6, 2 have been identified:

Miguel Luna from El Salvador

Maynor Yassir Suazo Sandoval from Honduras

Of the remaining 4, 2 are Guatemalan nationals. Neither have been identified, but the Guatemalan Foreign Affairs Ministry has stated that they were a 26-year-old from San Luis, Petén, and a 35-year-old from Camotán, Chiquimula. The other 2 are presumed to be Mexican.

Rescue Efforts

The Coast Guard was immediately deployed for search-and-rescue operations. Military Blackhawk helicopters were seen over the river. Rescue efforts were ended at 07:30 PM on March 26, 2024 due to darkness, fog, and cold temperatures. Rear Admiral Shannon Gilreath said "Based on the length of time that we've gone in the search, the extensive search efforts that we put into it, the water temperature -- at this point, we do not believe that we're going to find any of these individuals still alive". Recovery operations resumed at 07:30 AM on March 27, 2024 with all 6 workers presumed dead.

No divers have yet entered the water underneath the bridge. Supervisory Special Agent Brian Hudson of the FBI's Underwater Search and Evidence Response Team said "the debris field is pretty sizable and I know that’s why they’re hesitant to send divers down because some of the debris is still shifting, the heavy weight of the rocks". The FBI has deployed Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) equipped with cameras and SONAR.

Aftermath

At 05:08 AM on March 26, 2024 Transportation Secretary Pete Buttegiege posted on X (formerly Twitter):

"I’ve spoken with Gov. Moore and Mayor Scott to offer USDOT’s support following the vessel strike and collapse of the Francis Scott Key bridge. Rescue efforts remain underway and drivers in the Baltimore area should follow local responder guidance on detours and response."

At 07:30 AM on March 27, 2024 President of the Maryland State Senate Bill Ferguson posted on X (formerly Twitter):

"Over 15,000 in the Balt region rely on daily operations at Port of Baltimore to put food on the table. Today, with Del. @LukeClippinger and colleagues representing Port, we are drafting an emergency bill to provide for income replacement for workers impacted by this travesty."

At around 09:40 AM on March 26, 2024 Maryland Governor Wes Moore and Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott declared a State of Emergency to take effect at 10:30 AM March 26, 2024, and to last 30 days. Baltimore's Emergency Operations Plan was put into effect.

More than 1,000 personnel from the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) have been deployed to assist with clearing the debris and rebuilding efforts. President Joe Biden has pledged that the federal government will pay for the entire reconstruction of the bridge.

Jennifer Homendy, the chair of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has recovered the Dali's data recorder, and will be inspecting both the Key Bridge and the Dali to determine the cause of the crash and the collapse. She says the investigation could take up to 2 years to complete.

Was it intentional?

According to William DelBagno, head of the FBI's Baltimore field office: "There is no specific or credible information to suggest there are ties to terrorism in this incident".

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas said: "There are no indications this was an intentional act".

At least 3 people have been killed in accidents related to ships operated by Synergy in the past 6 years. In 2018 a person on board a Synergy ship in Australia was killed in an accident relating to the vessel's personnel elevator. In 2019 an officer aboard a Synergy vessel in Singapore fell overboard while performing maintenance. In 2023 at least one sailor was killed when a Synergy ship collided with a dredging ship in the Philippines. In the first two cases safety inspectors noted that proper safety procedures had not been adhered to.

Sources

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

#atlas entry #this is still a developing story but all the information herein is accurate and current at time of publishing #baltimore #baltimore bridge collapse #francis scott key bridge #key bridge #I spent an hour collating all this info please give it a reblog

[reality-detective]

An alternate angle on the Francis Scott Key Bridge shows what appears to be a large explosion, which you can see 👀 from the other angles I posted. Something reeks like a possible Black Swan Event?

Does it seem like a barge bumping into a pillar would cause the whole bridge to collapse? 🤔

#pay attention #educate yourselves #educate yourself #knowledge is power #reeducate yourself #reeducate yourselves #think about it #think for yourselves #think for yourself #do your homework #do some research #do your own research #federal reserve #question everything #francis scott key bridge #bridge collapse #baltimore maryland #you decide #we are the news #black swan event #government corruption

[alwaysbewoke]

always on time.

#baltimore #cruise lines international association #carnival legend #norfolk virginia #baltimore harbor closure #marine traffic #royal caribbean cruise lines #key bridge collapse #emergency workers #passenger traffic #racism #white supremacy #white racial hatred #dei

[destiel-news-network]

On the third anniversary of the Suez Canal incident, no less.

(Source)

#destiel #us news #baltimore #baltimore bridge #francis scott key bridge #bridge collapse #suez canal #castiel #dean winchester #breaking news

[dougielombax]

Holy shit.

The whole bloody thing is in the water!

Got hit by a massive container ship.

Fucking hell.

I hope nobody was on the damn thing when it collapsed.

Look at it!

It’s GONE!

Fuck.

What’s that?

They already changed the wording on its Wikipedia page?

Jesus Christ wikipedia!

You fuckers really do work fast!

Oh my GOD!

I’m not trying to sensationalise this btw.

I just wasn’t expecting it.

I’m not anticipating such incidents like some ghastly disaster-worshipping ghoul with issues.

I just hope nobody was hurt or killed.

I also worry that the conspiracy nuts will try saying it was faked or some crap. Fuck that shit!

#dougie rambles #personal stuff #news #maryland #bridge #bridges #bridge collapse #crash #cargo ship #what #fucking hell #wikipedia #Baltimore #river #Francis Scott key bridge #patapsco river #beltway bridge #key bridge #Baltimore harbour #container ship #container shipping #editors #bloody hell #dali #singapore #disaster #shitshow #maersk

[zell2036]

Via Bluesky:

#Baltimore #Key bridge #Frances Scott Key bridge collapse

[stormesandshowersparttwo]

#Baltimore bridge collapse #francis scott key #bridge #Baltimore #post from: #bluesky

[edaworks]

me, heading to court:

the traffic:

hmmm

#this is actually a monumental tragedy #not to make light of it #but this is also how I heard about it #warned by office my drive today would be shall we say #nonstandard #baltimore #key bridge #key bridge collapse

[geezerwench]

#Francis Scott Key Bridge #Key Bridge #David Sites #Baltimore #bridge collapse #Key bridge collapse

[prettyplumpkitty]

Oh my God.

I am devastated by this morning’s bridge collapse in Baltimore.

We’ve been visiting the city, most often this first week of April, for 7 years now. It is one of my favorites…Maryland holds a special place in my heart. We take a harbor cruise each visit & we always turned around in front of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. These photos are from our last visit in April 2022, taken from Fort McHenry.

My heart is with you, Baltimore.

#personal #Francis Scott Key Bridge #bridge collapse #baltimore #grief

[alwaysbewoke]

#francis scott key bridge #baltimore #conspiracy theories #misinformation #online rumors #erosion of trust #social media #fact-checking #disinformation #alternative realities #distrust in institutions #media credibility #angela chao #mitch mcconnell #false claims #social media rumor #shipping company #bridge collapse

[reasoningdaily]

Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapses After Collision With Ship

Divers are attempting to go into the water to save those who were in their vehicles on the bridge when it collapsed at approximately 1:30 AM. Eastern time

The bridge was struck by a freighter from singapore, The Dali

Approximately one hour before, the freighter was at the port of baltimore unloading.

This is expected to be a mass casualty accident

how could this happen?

#Baltimore #Francis scott key bridge collapses #Freighter Hits bridge in Baltimore #Youtube #Dali

[dougielombax]

Of course a cargo ship can bring down a bridge!

Even an idiot would know that!

Look at it!!!

Look at the fucking size of the bastard thing!

That shit could crack a fucking minesweeper in HALF!!!!!!!! (Yes that did happen!)

How stupid do you have to be to suggest it was an inside job?!

Fucking brainlets!

#dougie rambles #personal stuff #vent post #what #baltimore #bridge #bridge collapse #francis scott key bridge #maryland #baltimore bridge collapse #Baltimore bridge #cargo ship #dali #singapore #oopsie #brainrot in action #fucking morons #disaster

[probablynotsamantha]

Saw this post but OP understandably turned off reblogs, thought I'd get it going again with an addition that the Sun was recently bought by Sinclair and IIRC people have been saying that the quality's gone down and it's shifted rightwards.

I've spent a decent amount of time in Baltimore (NEC my beloved) and yeah that bridge is a BIG DEAL. Ignoring all the traffic that goes over it (there is a tunnel that people can use, though it's a ways out of the way) the Port of Baltimore is blocked to basically all marine traffic for the foreseeable future. It was also a notable state landmark, which kinda sucks to lose.

Additional note: I've seen some people saying that this was caused by poor bridge design, that's not exactly true. That boat crashed into it with around 4 times the momentum of your average jumbo jet WHILE IN FLIGHT. You simply can't design things to sustain that sort of an impact. The bridge didn't have the dolphins (concrete structures designed to prevent boats from hitting supports) required today because it was built before those regulations (implemented due to a similar collapse) and before ships of this size even existed. Whether dolphins would be sufficient to stop a boat of that size I can't be sure, especially as this was a head-on collision and dolphins are more effective at redirecting glancing blows than stopping a head-on impact. However, I was able to find that the bridge whose that sparked the requirements for dolphins has new dolphins that aren't rated for an impact from a ship of this size, so it's quite possible the bridge would've been badly damaged and/or destroyed anyways.

#baltimore #francis scott key bridge #bridge collapse #baltimore bridge collapse #sorry i hate tagging like this but I figure this is an actually useful post