Baltimore bridge collapse
The Baltimore bridge collapse occurred on 26 March 2024 after a Singapore-registered container ship, the MV Dali, suffered engine failure and collided with a support pillar of the Francis Scott Key truss bridge[1] across the Patapsco River in Baltimore, Maryland. As a result of the collision, multiple spans of the bridge collapsed into the river. Realising that the fully-loaded ship was out of their control, the crew sent out distress calls. The authorities quickly closed the bridge to vehicles but were helpless to save six members of a construction crew who were reported missing, presumed dead, after the collapse.[2]
According to the New York Times, 11.5 million vehicles crossed the bridge each year. The bridge was completed in 1977 with a total span of 8636 ft (2632.25 m).[3] The Dali, built in 2015, is reported to have been in a previous bridge collision, at Antwerp, Belgium, in 2016.[4]
References
- ↑ Read more about truss bridges.
- ↑ Part of Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapses after being hit by large ship; cars in water, CBS News, March 26, 2024.
- ↑ Yoon, John. Cargo Ship Hits Key Bridge in Baltimore, Triggering Partial Collapse, The New York Times, March 26, 2024.
- ↑ Cargo ship that hit Baltimore bridge was involved in Antwerp collision in 2016, The Guardian, 26 March 2024.