The entire crew of 22 members aboard the cargo ship involved in the collision with a major bridge in Baltimore early Tuesday hails from India. Their timely alert about a "power issue" prior to the accident helped prevent further vehicular traffic from entering the bridge. The Singapore-flagged container ship named "Dali" collided with a pillar of the Francis Scott Key Bridge around 1:30 am local time, causing it to collapse into the river.
According to information provided by the Synergy Marine Group, all crew members aboard the "Dali" were Indian nationals. The vessel, with a capacity of 10,000 TEU and carrying 4,679 TEU onboard, is owned by Grace Ocean Private Ltd and was en route from Baltimore to Colombo.
The ship management company, Synergy Marine Group, stated that the collision occurred while the vessel was under pilotage with two pilots onboard. Fortunately, all crew members, including the pilots, were safe with no reported injuries or pollution.
Although the exact cause of the incident is still under investigation, the "Dali" has initiated its Qualified Individual Incident Response service. Maryland Governor Wes Moore confirmed that the crew had notified authorities about a power issue, which ultimately led to the Mayday call and helped avert further disasters.
Governor Moore expressed gratitude to those who responded swiftly to stop traffic on the bridge, potentially saving lives. He emphasized that the preliminary investigation points towards an accident, ruling out any credible evidence of a terrorist attack.
Authorities have reported two rescues so far, with a search ongoing for six more individuals. The US Coast Guard and local officials are coordinating efforts, while the owners and managers of the vessel are fully cooperating with government agencies.
Maersk, in a statement, expressed condolences and confirmed that the container vessel "Dali" was time chartered by them, carrying cargo belonging to their customers. Governor Moore declared a State of Emergency and pledged to work closely with federal, state, and local authorities to address the situation.
Emergency personnel are actively engaged at the scene following the collapse of the bridge, with ongoing communication between Governor Moore's office and relevant authorities to ensure a coordinated response to the tragedy.
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