Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed early Tuesday morning after one of its columns was struck by a huge container ship. The Dali, a giant 948-foot cargo ship, collides with the bridge, causing it to break and crash into the river below, spilling vehicles and people into the river. Six persons remained missing, and the US Coast Guard announced Tuesday evening that it would transition to a recovery mission following a daylong search and rescue operation.
How many people are missing?
Six persons who were swept into the river when it collapsed are believed dead. Two persons were rescued early that day. Authorities think that all eight people were members of the construction crew.
Source: CNN
By dusk, the Coast Guard announced that the mission had changed from search and rescue to recovery. Authorities think that all eight people were members of the construction crew.
What actually happened?
The Dali cargo ship’s operators issued a mayday call indicating that the vessel had lost power moments before the collision, but the ship continued to move toward the span at “a very, very rapid speed,” according to Maryland Gov. Wes Moore.
The 985-foot (300-meter) tanker collided with one of the 1.6-mile (2.6-kilometer) bridge’s supports, forcing the span to break and plummet into the river in seconds.
An inspection of the Dali at a Chilean port in June revealed an issue with the ship’s “propulsion and auxiliary machinery,” according to Equasis, a shipping intelligence system. The deficit concerned gauges and thermometers, but the website’s online records provided no further details.
The Dali’s most recent inspection was completed by the United States Coast Guard in New York in September. According to Equasis data, there were no deficiencies discovered during the “standard examination”.
