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Responders with the Unified Command conduct an overflight assessment of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore, Maryland, March 29, 2024. Unified Command Photo
Baltimore Bridge Disaster
Murphy’s Law says that if anything can go wrong, it will. That’s exactly what happened this week in Baltimore with the motor vessel Dali and the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
The incident is undoubtably one of the worst accidents we’ve covered in the 15+ years of gCaptain and is likely to become one of the costliest maritime disasters ever in history, potentially even surpassing the Costa Concordia grounding and two-and-a-half year wreck removal in Italy.
As with most major disasters, people are seeking answers and many are quick to give them—regardless of their qualifications or accuracy. In reality, the NTSB and Coast Guard investigations are likely to take at least a year to complete, while Singapore’s flag state investigation could take equally as long and even longer before it is submitted to the IMO and eventually released to the public.
What we can deduce from facts provided so far, it seems that the ship lost power and maneuvering at precisely the worst time possible. We know that, in the crucial moments amid the chaos of darkness and sounding alarms, there were several heroic acts—by the pilots, the MDTA officers and others—that no doubt saved lives. We know there’s a big job ahead. We know this accident could potentially lead to new regulations and procedures. We may find out that there was some human error. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves, there’s a lot that we still do not know. As time goes on, we will learn more about what happened so we can prevent similar accidents from occurring in the future.
Once again, the maritime industry finds itself in the spotlight because something went wrong. While it’s unfortunate that this tends to be the case much of the time, I am confident that in the days and weeks ahead the maritime community will have its time to shine at the forefront of the response. We’re already starting to see the private sector kick into gear with the mobilization of equipment and assets, including the largest crane barge on the East Coast. I’m also confident that there will be more uplifting stories to come out of this, and I’m hopeful that sooner than later things can get back to normal.
Right now our thoughts go out to the families of the victims of this terrible tragedy, all of the seafarers impacted, the 140,000 or so workers whose livelihoods depend on the port, and the people of Baltimore and surrounding areas who will be forced to live with this terrible tragedy as part of their everyday lives for a long time.
Going forward we will continue to share the facts as they come out, provide updates as the situation develops, and report on efforts to reopen to the Port of Baltimore as soon as possible. We’d like to thank all the responders and crews who are working around the clock to get the port open, the wreckage cleaned up, and bridge rebuilt. Please stay safe and happy Easter to those who celebrate.
The“black swan” allisionbetween the container ship MV Dali and the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on Tuesday has prompted questions about global shipping processes and emphasizes the need for…
The“black swan” allisionbetween the container ship MV Dali and the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on Tuesday has prompted questions about global shipping processes and emphasizes the need for…
The wife of one of the construction workers who survived the collapse of a Baltimore bridge said they were on a break when tragedy struck – and that it’s a…
The wife of one of the construction workers who survived the collapse of a Baltimore bridge said they were on a break when tragedy struck – and that it’s a…
Even before most Americans woke up Tuesday morning to news of the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, wild conspiracy theories about what supposedly had “really” happenedwere…
Even before most Americans woke up Tuesday morning to news of the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, wild conspiracy theories about what supposedly had “really” happenedwere…
By Malte Humpert (gCaptain) – The Norwegian Safety Investigation Authority (NSIA) released its report on the loss of propulsion and near-grounding of cruise ship Viking Sky on 23 March 2019.…
By Malte Humpert (gCaptain) – The Norwegian Safety Investigation Authority (NSIA) released its report on the loss of propulsion and near-grounding of cruise ship Viking Sky on 23 March 2019.…
Ukraine’s navy spokesman says that Ukrainian forces have sunk or disabled a third of all Russian warships in the Black Sea, a major blow to Moscow’s military capability as the…
Ukraine’s navy spokesman says that Ukrainian forces have sunk or disabled a third of all Russian warships in the Black Sea, a major blow to Moscow’s military capability as the…
By: Dr Pooja Bhatt The high-octane anti-piracy operation against the hijacked MV Ruen gained admiration for the Indian Navy and underscored its position as the first responder in the Indian…
By: Dr Pooja Bhatt The high-octane anti-piracy operation against the hijacked MV Ruen gained admiration for the Indian Navy and underscored its position as the first responder in the Indian…
In the second of this two-part series in celebration of Women’s History Month, meet two women making waves in the Port of Seattle’s Maritime division. Keep reading to learn what…
In the second of this two-part series in celebration of Women’s History Month, meet two women making waves in the Port of Seattle’s Maritime division. Keep reading to learn what…
ByYi Wei Wong Mar 23, 2024(Bloomberg) –Yemen-based Houthis fired a missile at a Chinese-owned oil tanker called M/V Huang Pu on Saturday, the US Central Command said. The Iranian-backed Houthis…
ByYi Wei Wong Mar 23, 2024(Bloomberg) –Yemen-based Houthis fired a missile at a Chinese-owned oil tanker called M/V Huang Pu on Saturday, the US Central Command said. The Iranian-backed Houthis…
Due to the Baltimore bridge collapse, MSC, the world’s biggest container ship company, told customers that diverted cargo will become customer responsibility.
Due to the Baltimore bridge collapse, MSC, the world’s biggest container ship company, told customers that diverted cargo will become customer responsibility.
(Bloomberg) — Russian warships from the Pacific Fleet have crossed the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait and entered the Red Sea, the state-run Tass news agency said, venturing into a maritime region plagued…
(Bloomberg) — Russian warships from the Pacific Fleet have crossed the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait and entered the Red Sea, the state-run Tass news agency said, venturing into a maritime region plagued…
As always, we’d love to hear your feedback. Email [email protected] with any questions, comments, tips, or concerns. Don’t forget to check out the Club Discord and gCaptain.com for the latest maritime news.
A crew member has died following a maritime incident aboard the US-flagged Tidewater vessel POLARIS on June 2, while conducting operations in the Atlantic Ocean. Tidewater confirmed the fatality in...
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By Lori Ann LaRocco – Global insurer Allianz Commercial warns the Morning Midas fire is the latest example of an underling safety problem facing seafarers. Captain Rahul Khanna, Global Head of Marine...
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