Pinned
As the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore still rests in the Patapsco River after being struck by a container ship on the morning of March 26 and suffering a catastrophic collapse, curiosity continues to build as to what caused the incident.
Experts tell The Epoch Times that although the steel-arched bridge was nearly 50 years old, it would have likely collapsed whether it was new or old because the ship took out the main support columns.
Maryland officials said Tuesday morning that the bridge was fully up to code and was not on any of the state’s lists for bridges in poor condition at the time of the incident, which was caught on video and shared widely across all media platforms.
The bridge was rammed and knocked down by a 95,000-ton, three-football field-long moving behemoth carrying up to 9,900 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) of container cargo—with each TEU weighing up to 28 tons.
Early reports indicate the 948-foot Singaporean-flagged container carrier Dali changed course and may have lost power after pulling out of Seagirt Martine Terminal near Point Breeze around 12:45 a.m. before ramming the bridge around 1:30 a.m.
A container ship crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, collapsing large sections of the 1.6-mile structure and hurtling as many as 12 vehicles and 20 people into the frigid waters of the lower Patapsco River at 1:28 a.m. on March 26.
At least two survivors were rescued. One refused medical treatment and the other was transported to a hospital in critical condition.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore declared a state of emergency.
The major bridge collapse at the port of Baltimore could lead to a ripple effect in the shipping industry and potentially make a dent in the broader economy.
The port has become one of the most significant trade hubs in the U.S. today, with 12 private and 5 state-owned public marine terminals.
