Tragedy Strikes: Cargo Ship Collides with Baltimore Bridge
WRITTEN BY: ARLO HOOVER (J)
At 1:27 a.m. yesterday morning, the Singaporean cargo ship Dali collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. The ship issued a "mayday" call before drifting into a support beam at 9 mph. A full blackout occurred on the ship just minutes before the collision. According to officials, eight people were on the bridge at the time of the collapse. Two have been rescued, while six remain missing. All victims were construction workers filling potholes along the 1.6-mile bridge during the incident.
As of writing, one of the two saved remains in the hospital, while the other was released Tuesday. The six missing victims are now presumed dead. The ship's black box was recovered last night, but further information regarding its contents has yet to be released. Rescue efforts were paused overnight due to treacherous conditions. Maryland Governor Wes Moore told CBS News this morning, "We’re talking about frigid temperatures, a moving tide, darkness, and mangled metal, that’s still very much in the middle of this water." Moore has also pledged his commitment to the families of the missing, ensuring them that officials are only looking for six individuals.
Search and rescue efforts resumed this morning, but nothing of importance has been found. The cold, choppy water has interfered with the divers' work, causing them to proceed more slowly. Additionally, the suspension of nighttime searches leaves little time for searching.
Though the bridge's collapse injured people, it will also have an adverse effect on Maryland's economy. More than 30,000 people traverse the bridge daily, causing major traffic problems throughout the city. The port is the ninth-largest US port for international cargo, and the collapse trapped four ships from leaving the port and another 20 from entering. Not only did the bridge support commerce, but according to the Maryland state government, it also directly supports 15,330 jobs and 139,180 in related services.
Rebuilding the bridge has no direct timeline as of now. The predicted budget for its rebuilding is being discussed in Congress. President Joe Biden said the federal government should fund the entire cost of rebuilding, saying, "It’s my intention that the federal government will pay for the entire cost of reconstructing the bridge," Biden said. "And I expect Congress to support my effort. It’s going to take some time. The people of Baltimore can count on us, though, to stick with them every step of the way."
As far as the shipping company being at fault, Biden has said that the government should act before fault is determined. Governor Moore, however, disagrees and is calling for "a full and thorough investigation" of who is at fault.
