Bridge Catastrophe in Baltimore: Cargo Ship Causes Collapse

David M. Higgins II, Publisher/Editor

March 26

Over the weekend Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge celebrated its 47th birthday. Days later, a huge swath over it lay in the Patapsco River.

Around 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday, March 26, 2024, a Singapore cargo vessel, named Dali was leaving the Port of Baltimore and was in the site of the Key Bridge. While the exact nature of what happened has not been discovered by investigators yet; video suggests the Dali lost power twice in the final 30-45 seconds before it collided with the bridge.

As of 8:30 a.m., Officials believe seven individuals are unaccounted for. One person was rescued and their condition was said to be very serious, another declined medical treatment.

Officials also confirmed that there was a construction crew on the bridge that night, but no word has been given on their status.

According to reports, the part that collapsed was the steel superstructure and that the concrete portion of the bridge remained standing.

Maryland Governor Wes Moore has declared a State of Emergency and issued the following statement:

My office is in close communication with U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski, and the Baltimore Fire Department as emergency personnel are on the scene following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

I have declared a State of Emergency here in Maryland and we are working with an interagency team to quickly deploy federal resources from the Biden Administration.

We are thankful for the brave men and women who are carrying out efforts to rescue those involved and pray for everyone's safety.

We will remain in close contact with federal, state, and local entities that are carrying out rescue efforts as we continue to assess and respond to this tragedy.