May 15th 2024.
According to a preliminary report released by the US National Transportation Safety Board, the cargo ship Dali was responsible for the destruction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland in March. The report revealed that the ship had experienced a loss of electrical power and propulsion before the incident occurred.
The report provides a detailed timeline of the events that took place leading up to the Dali striking pier no. 17 of the Key Bridge. It also mentions the subsequent collapse of the bridge and the initial search and rescue efforts for the road maintenance crewmembers. The Xinhua news agency has reported on these findings.
The investigation revealed that the Singapore-flagged steel-hulled general cargo vessel was only 0.6 miles away from the Key Bridge when it experienced a sudden loss of electrical power. This resulted in a blackout of all shipboard lighting and most equipment, including the main engine cooling water pumps and steering gear pumps. As a result, the ship's rudder was unable to be moved due to the loss of power to the steering pumps.
The crew of the Dali managed to restore electrical power to the vessel, but unfortunately, a second electrical blackout occurred when the ship was only 0.2 miles away from the bridge. It was at this point that the Dali's starboard bow struck pier no. 17 of the Key Bridge at a speed of 6.5 knots. The impact caused six spans of the bridge to collapse into the water and onto the ship's bow.
The report also revealed that the Dali had experienced a similar blackout incident 10 hours before leaving Baltimore. This occurred during maintenance work when a crewmember mistakenly closed an inline engine exhaust damper. Despite this, the crew was able to restore power to the vessel before a second blackout occurred, which was caused by insufficient fuel pressure for the online generator.
The report further stated that out of the 4,680 containers on board the Dali at the time of the accident, 56 were identified as containing dangerous goods. The US Coast Guard has classified the accident as a major marine casualty, and unfortunately, six road maintenance workers on the bridge lost their lives.
Last week, officials confirmed that they had recovered the body of the sixth and final missing worker after the bridge collapse. The NTSB has stated that their investigation into the accident is ongoing as they work to determine the probable cause. They will also be examining the design and operation of the ship's power distribution system, including its breakers. Additionally, they will continue to assess the damage to the vessel once it has been cleared of debris and moved to a shoreside facility.
To facilitate this process, a controlled precision-cut demolition was conducted on Monday to break down a large steel section of the collapsed bridge. This was done in order to free the cargo ship from the fallen structure. The IANS has reported on these developments.
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