2024-03-27 04:33:08
2024-03-27 12:33 United News Network 24 Hours The Kaye Bridge in Baltimore was hit by the freighter “DALI”, and some crew members were also injured.Photo/Reuters
【2024. 3. 27 United States】
The Baltimore Bridge in the United States was hit and broken: 6 missing workers were presumed dead, and the local area fell into a traffic jam nightmare
The “Francis Scott Key Bridge” (Francis Scott Key Bridge) in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, was hit by a freighter on a pier and collapsed around 1:30 a.m. local time on March 26. Six construction workers on the bridge are missing. So far, search and rescue teams have been unable to Their traces or remains were found, and taking into account the time elapsed since the incident and the water temperature, the authorities presumed that the six people were dead. The freighter that hit the Kaye Bridge was the Singaporean DALI. The DALI lost control of its power following setting off from Baltimore and drove towards the Kaye Bridge at high speed. The crew sent a distress signal and hit the bridge pier only 2 minutes later. In addition to the ongoing search for the missing persons, the collapse of the Kaye Bridge, a traffic artery that carries 35,000 vehicles a day, plunged Baltimore into severe congestion, and this commuting nightmare may continue for several years.
The DALI that hit the concrete pier of the Kaye Bridge was a large container ship with a length of 289 meters, chartered by the shipping giant Maersk. There were 22 Indian crew members on board. It was originally scheduled to depart from the Port of Baltimore to Colombo, Sri Lanka. The voyage length was 27 days, but shortly following leaving the port at 0:44 on March 26, the engine power and electricity were completely lost at 1:26 in the morning. The lights on the ship went out and the direction of travel might not be controlled. The crew issued a distress signal and warned of an imminent collision. On the Kaye Bridge, the Maryland Transportation Authority received the signal and prevented vehicles from driving onto the Kaye Bridge. At 1:28 a.m., 2 minutes following the signal was sent, the DALI hit the Kaye Bridge, and the Kaye Bridge collapsed immediately.
Maryland Governor Wes Moore pointed out that the DALI was heading towards the Kaye Bridge at a high speed at the time of the collision, at a speed of 8 knots (approximately 14.8 kilometers per hour), and the authorities’ reaction time was only just enough to prevent vehicles from driving onto the bridge; Moore Calling the ship’s crew heroes meant their quick response prevented more victims. However, following the impact, the 2.6-kilometer-long Kaye Bridge quickly collapsed and sank into the Patapsco River below. Six construction workers who were working on the bridge to fill the potholes fell into the water.
Baltimore’s Kaye Bridge was hit by the freighter DALI. The picture shows an aerial shot. Photo/Reuters The “DALI” that crashed into the Kaye Bridge was owned by a Singaporean company and owned by the Danish shipping giant Maersk…
After a long search and rescue, there were still no traces or remains of the six people. The Maryland State Police announced on the evening of the 26th that the search and rescue mission would be transformed into a search. Due to poor night conditions, related work will be suspended. It is expected that the search personnel will dive until 6 a.m. on the 27th. Return once more and continue the task. The U.S. Coast Guard pointed out late at night on the 26th that considering the time that had passed since the incident and the freezing water temperature, the six workers were presumed dead.
“BBC” quoted local media reports in Baltimore, stating that the six workers were from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, and were still contacting the consular bureau for further verification. In addition, the search and rescue team rescued two people from the water, one of whom was not injured, and the other was sent to hospital for treatment and was discharged a few hours later. Several vehicles also fell into the water when the Kaye Bridge collapsed, but the authorities determined that no one was inside the vehicle. All 22 crew members on board the DALI survived.
As night fell on the 26th, the DALI and the 3,000 containers it carried were still stranded in the Patapsco River, with the bow stuck between bridge fragments.
The reason why the DALI lost power is still under investigation. Investigators from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board are examining the data of the voyage recorder; according to data from the shipping information system Equasis, when the DALI was inspected at the Chilean port in June 2023, Problems with its “propulsion and auxiliary machinery” were found. The faulty parts included instruments and thermometers, but online records did not provide details. The most recent inspection of the DALI was conducted by the US Coast Guard in New York in September 2023. According to Equasis data, no problems were found at that time.
This is not the first time the DALI has had an accident. Ship tracking website Vessel Finder pointed out that the DALI had another collision in 2016 in the Port of Antwerp, Belgium. No injuries or major damage were reported at the time.
The Kaye Bridge was inspected in June 2023 and was judged to be in good condition.
After the Kaye Bridge was hit, several cars and six workers fell into the river and have not yet been found. The picture shows a search and rescue helicopter flying over the accident site. …Baltimore’s Kaye Bridge was hit by a freighter, leaving only the approach road still standing on the river.Photo/AFP
U.S. President Biden said on the 26th that he planned to go to Baltimore as soon as possible and hoped that the federal government would bear all the costs of rebuilding the bridge.
The Kaye Bridge was named following the lyricist of the American national anthem “The Star-Spangled Banner.” It has been in use for 47 years since its completion. It is an important commuting route for Baltimore residents. Land transportation to and from major cities in the eastern United States such as New York and Washington also must pass through Baltimore. Maryland authorities pointed out that an average of regarding 35,000 vehicles cross the Kaye Bridge every day. After the collapse of the Kaye Bridge, these vehicles had to be diverted into downtown Baltimore, making the already congested situation worse.
Baltimore resident Dex Dunbar told Reuters in an interview that his mother lives across the Kaye Bridge. It used to be a 10-minute drive to visit her, but now it takes nearly an hour; and he went to Maryland. Commute time to the capital, Annapolis, also increased by an hour. Dunbar pessimistically pointed out that traffic congestion problems may continue to plague Baltimore residents for months or even years.
In addition to traffic jams, trucks carrying hazardous materials and trucks with a height higher than 4.4 meters or a width exceeding 3.35 meters are unable to pass through the road tunnel in downtown Baltimore and must therefore detour on roads outside the city in accordance with the instructions of the Transportation Authority.
In order to solve the traffic problem, the Baltimore Police Department re-arranged commuter routes on the 26th, assigned police officers to perform traffic tasks, and dispatched Marines and diving teams to assist in rescue and recovery efforts.
In addition to land transportation, the harbor’s navigation channels also need to be cleared.
According to the World Water Transport Infrastructure Association, from 1960 to 2015, 35 major bridge collapses occurred globally due to ship collisions.
The Kaye Bridge in Baltimore was hit by the freighter DALI, which may affect port transportation.Photo/Reuters The past 24 hours United States
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