U.S.A. Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapses in Baltimore After Ship Collision

[Crystal]

Live updates: Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge collapses after ship collision

Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed early Tuesday after it was struck by a large ship, according to video obtained by CNN. Follow live updates here.

www.cnn.com

Rescuers are searching for at least 7 people at this time assumed missing. Early suspicion is the person at the helm fell asleep...senseless murder.

Update -- Rescuers now reportedly searching for up to 20 people.

 

[Crystal]

 

[Mark]

I just woke up and am hearing about this. I used to cross the Key Bridge regularly, it’s part of the main interstate loop around Baltimore. It carried two eastbound lanes and two westbound, and even at nighttime accommodates hundreds of vehicles an hour despite regular nighttime bridge deck and support maintenance that has practically continued since I got my license over 20 years ago. It was a regular sight for ships entering the harbor, and people flying into Baltimore could see it.

A live feed:

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Video of the collapse:



In the video above, you can see the ship pass away from the center span of the bridge. That stretch is where ships are supposed to pass, as far as I’m aware… even recreational watercraft have to stay in between the center when passing under.

Guy I used to repo with via Facebook:



He lives just on the other side of the bridge, and as usual, it was loaded with construction workers overnight… which means traffic was cut to one lane, and at any point could have been completely stopped to allow crews and equipment safe transit in and out of the traffic/construction zone.

 

[Advocate for Ants! Mouth]

Yeah I just saw a couple angles of the video. The boat definitely lost power for a bit, but no idea what would have caused that either.

The only good that came of this is that it happened at night instead of during the day. Far fewer people, but still horrendous for everyone involved.

This is going to cause some major issues in Baltimore for a while until they can get something back up.

@Mark is this also a major shipping route? There were quite a few trucks driving over on the videos I saw. Also this will likely mess up boat traffic on the area for a bit as well.

 

[Mark]

Yeah I just saw a couple angles of the video. The boat definitely lost power for a bit, but no idea what would have caused that either.

The only good that came of this is that it happened at night instead of during the day. Far fewer people, but still horrendous for everyone involved.

This is going to cause some major issues in Baltimore for a while until they can get something back up.

@Mark is this also a major shipping route? There were quite a few trucks driving over on the videos I saw. Also this will likely mess up boat traffic on the area for a bit as well.

In terms of ports, the Port of Baltimore is one of the largest on the east coast and the 9th largest in the country. I-695 loops around the city, providing the ground route for all freight coming in by not only port but railway. I’ve outlined I-695 in this shot:



When you enter Baltimore’s harbor, you have a few main port options after the Key Bridge:



However, all of them rely on I-695 or I-95 to transport out of Baltimore. With the Key Bridge down on the southeast side of I-695, that leaves the two heaviest traveled routes… I-895’s Harbor Tunnel (blue), or I-95’s Fort McHenry Tunnel (green), neither of which permit just any ol’ type of load.



This is going to create a traffic nightmare comparable to the fire on that California interstate not too long ago, and the collapse of the stretch of I-95 in Philadelphia several months ago. The major difference is… I don’t see the Army engineers coming up with a temporary solution for this nearly as quickly because of the setting.

 

[Ben]

I just woke up and am hearing about this. I used to cross the Key Bridge regularly, it’s part of the main interstate loop around Baltimore. It carried two eastbound lanes and two westbound, and even at nighttime accommodates hundreds of vehicles an hour despite regular nighttime bridge deck and support maintenance that has practically continued since I got my license over 20 years ago. It was a regular sight for ships entering the harbor, and people flying into Baltimore could see it.

A live feed:

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Video of the collapse:



In the video above, you can see the ship pass away from the center span of the bridge. That stretch is where ships are supposed to pass, as far as I’m aware… even recreational watercraft have to stay in between the center when passing under.

Guy I used to repo with via Facebook:

View attachment 12431

He lives just on the other side of the bridge, and as usual, it was loaded with construction workers overnight… which means traffic was cut to one lane, and at any point could have been completely stopped to allow crews and equipment safe transit in and out of the traffic/construction zone.

View attachment 12432

News stories like this always sound horrible, but when you can actually see all of the headlights from vehicles just drop away into the river... That's more poignant.

Fingers crossed they find as many as they can. My hopes aren't high though, unfortunately.

I can't recall if I went over that bridge when I was driving up to Maine from South Carolina... I feel like I took a tunnel under the river, though, not the bridge... All I remember is a sign saying "Sunglasses Off" or something.

 

[Mark]

News stories like this always sound horrible, but when you can actually see all of the headlights from vehicles just drop away into the river... That's more poignant.

Fingers crossed they find as many as they can. My hopes aren't high though, unfortunately.

I can't recall if I went over that bridge when I was driving up to Maine from South Carolina... I feel like I took a tunnel under the river, though, not the bridge... All I remember is a sign saying "Sunglasses Off" or something.

You likely went through the Ft. McHenry Tunnel on I-95 northbound, that’s the main route your GPS will take heading through Maryland to get points north.

I couldn’t tell you how many nights I sat, stopped, on that bridge for that very same kind of construction work those guys were up there doing. It’s over 40 years old, so, it required constant maintenance on the decking and electrical systems. I used to take those 30-45 minute breaks during closures to catch up on documentation, smoke a bowl, get out and stretch my legs, etc…

I know a lot of truckers and occupational drivers, man… this one has me messed up.

 

[Fire Queen]

latest update regarding the reason this happened: wasn't because the driver fell asleep but was apparently due to a power outage on the boat that took out the steering and navigation systems. it had only embarked half an hour prior

 

[Mark]

latest update regarding the reason this happened: wasn't because the driver fell asleep but was apparently due to a power outage on the boat that took out the steering and navigation systems. it had only embarked half an hour prior

I wasn’t so sure about the part about the pilot. They normally have more than one pilot, plus, they’ve gotta crawl after they leave port until they hit deeper water well past the bridge, but it doesn’t take that long for them to pass by. Even the heaviest cruise and container ships can make it from port to the bridge within 30-45 minutes depending on traffic.

 

[Fire Queen]

apparently they even notified the authorities that a crash was imminent before it happened (although i'm not sure how far in advance that notice was), either way i would hate to be either of those pilots right now

 

[Mark]

apparently they even notified the authorities that a crash was imminent before it happened (although i'm not sure how far in advance that notice was), either way i would hate to be either of those pilots right now

Correct, MDOT was notified, although I’m not entirely sure if they’re the correct agency to report to for a maritime incident, but they would certainly be the correct ones to alert if you’re expecting to collide with the bridge.

 

[Jon]

I have a debilitating fear of bridges over water. The idea of being trapped inside a car plummeting into water scares the shit outta me. My heart and thoughts to anyone on that bridge and may they all have survived...

 

[Mark]

I have a debilitating fear of bridges over water. The idea of being trapped inside a car plummeting into water scares the shit outta me. My heart and thoughts to anyone on that bridge and may they all have survived...

You get kinda used to driving over them if you live here, because there aren’t many ways to avoid them… you’re either going over or under water one way or another. All I will say is that from that height (the videos don’t really do it justice), it has got to be one of those long, slow-motion-feeling falls to the water below. I can only hope that anyone that did perish, did so upon impact.

 

[Tommy Boy]

This is fuckin crazy.

 

[Mark]

These are the closest photos I’ve seen so far:

 

[TD]

I have an irrational paranoia of bridges over water as it is that escalated after learning about the Silver Bridge in Point Pleasant.

This is mortifying. I feel for the people and the families involved.

 

[Ben]

These are the closest photos I’ve seen so far:

View attachment 12442View attachment 12443View attachment 12444View attachment 12445View attachment 12446View attachment 12447View attachment 12448View attachment 12449View attachment 12450

Damn.

That's some murky-ass water, too... I'd imagine at night, in a sinking car, it'd be absolutely pitch black and silent, which is terrifying. Despite how messed up it is to be hoping someone died from X instead of Y, it's really true.

 

[Fire Queen]

so apparently that mayday signal came soon enough that they were actually able to stop some traffic from making it onto the bridge before the collapse--looks like the people they're looking for are mainly the construction crew working the bridge at the time

 

[Mark]

Damn.

That's some murky-ass water, too... I'd imagine at night, in a sinking car, it'd be absolutely pitch black and silent, which is terrifying. Despite how messed up it is to be hoping someone died from X instead of Y, it's really true.

Yeah, the water in the Patapsco River and the harbor is dirty as hell, they use filters to make it appear cleaner on television productions and in professional photos. It isn’t particularly deep, either, it was dredged out over the years to accommodate larger and larger ships. The problem is that water temps were low, visibility is typically poor on the water that time of night, and I can only assume the debris made the already murky water even more disturbed.

so apparently that mayday signal came soon enough that they were actually able to stop some traffic from making it onto the bridge before the collapse--looks like the people they're looking for are mainly the construction crew working the bridge at the time

If this is the case, they may have been able to deploy MDTA police usually stationed on either side of the bridge (assuredly at the toll plaza on the Balt Co./Sparrows Point side, where they have a substation) and perhaps even the overhead alert signs that begin a few miles before the bridge on either direction.

Edit - This was posted 3 days ago.

 

[Crystal]

latest update regarding the reason this happened: wasn't because the driver fell asleep but was apparently due to a power outage on the boat that took out the steering and navigation systems. it had only embarked half an hour prior

This makes me...not happier, but slightly less distraught. Still an awful situation, but glad it wasn't pilot error / falling asleep.

 

[Fire Queen]

yeah all signs seem to indicate that the people in charge of the ship weren't able to avoid striking the bridge of course but were able to notify people early enough of the imminent strike/collapse that the death toll is going to be FAR smaller than it may have been otherwise

 

[Crystal]

yeah all signs seem to indicate that the people in charge of the ship weren't able to avoid striking the bridge of course but were able to notify people early enough of the imminent strike/collapse that the death toll is going to be FAR smaller than it may have been otherwise

That's so much better than just "ralph fell asleep, soz bros!" sort of situation, so totally understandable. Still not better, but less horrible.

 

[Ben]

That's so much better than just "ralph fell asleep, soz bros!" sort of situation, so totally understandable. Still not better, but less horrible.

It's a little worse in that the captain and everyone else on the ship were also victims of fate. Even if they didn't cause it to happen, they're still going to have a lot of guilt over something they couldn't avoid.

I'm guessing the crew are probably fine. Those ships are loooooong so it's not likely anyone was chilling right at the front.

 

[Crystal]

It's a little worse in that the captain and everyone else on the ship were also victims of fate. Even if they didn't cause it to happen, they're still going to have a lot of guilt over something they couldn't avoid.

I'm guessing the crew are probably fine. Those ships are loooooong so it's not likely anyone was chilling right at the front.

Oh 100%, there's loss of life to live with, and millions of dollars in damages. There's no easy way to live with that, at all.

 

[Mark]

yeah all signs seem to indicate that the people in charge of the ship weren't able to avoid striking the bridge of course but were able to notify people early enough of the imminent strike/collapse that the death toll is going to be FAR smaller than it may have been otherwise

It's a little worse in that the captain and everyone else on the ship were also victims of fate. Even if they didn't cause it to happen, they're still going to have a lot of guilt over something they couldn't avoid.

I'm guessing the crew are probably fine. Those ships are loooooong so it's not likely anyone was chilling right at the front.

I have a friend that works at the docks that says that a scenario with an unfamiliar captain wouldn’t happen, because they use local people to pilot the ships into the harbor. I’m not sure if this is a standard procedure, or mandated across the board, but for what it’s worth… I’m hearing that it’s only people that regularly navigate that stretch. I’m not sure whether they pilot remotely or physically board each vessel, but hearing that makes this story that much stranger.

 

[Rachel]

thank goodness they issued that Mayday. They 100% saved lives, no question at all. Wow. But I wonder what the timeline of that was. How were they able to close the bridge so fast once they knew about the problem? Why did the construction crew not get out?

I think it's actually strange that this has not happened more often. How much ship traffic has gone in and out over the decades. The bridges are vulnerable, but also because of global warming, water levels are rising in some areas and shrinking in other areas. The Panama Canal is a prime example because of drought, how much longer can this go on? They are going to have to start making the choice between water for their citizens and water for the canal (which is their economic lifeline)

Changing climate casts a shadow over the future of the Panama Canal – and global trade

Facing a near unprecedented ‘rainfall deficit’, the Panama Canal has been forced to restrict the number of vessels passing through it

www.theguardian.com

I'm also wondering about the Baltimore mayor, for example could the mayor urge companies/everyone who can work home, to work from home during this time? Or maybe encourage staggered work hours? Everyone will need to collectively make some changes because of the traffic. I also understand it's the only reasonable route for trucks with hazardous materials.

The port workers are going to be very hurt by all this, and the knock-on effects of that/everyone else who depends on the ports economically.

I've been reading a little about different ways to add barriers around the columns/piers to add protection...but the ship is too big, nothing would have mattered (not an engineer but this seems to be the case)

 

[Mark]

thank goodness they issued that Mayday. They 100% saved lives, no question at all. Wow. But I wonder what the timeline of that was. How were they able to close the bridge so fast once they knew about the problem? Why did the construction crew not get out?

A matter of minutes based on the scanner radio. MDTA police have a substation on the eastern side of the bridge, and an emergency break on the western side. The workers likely weren’t able to gain access to a vehicle quick enough, as with most interstate jobs, they’re typically at the very front of the job site acting as part of the barrier protecting the workers.

Eastern side:


Western side:

I think it's actually strange that this has not happened more often. How much ship traffic has gone in and out over the decades. The bridges are vulnerable, but also because of global warming, water levels are rising in some areas and shrinking in other areas. The Panama Canal is a prime example because of drought, how much longer can this go on? They are going to have to start making the choice between water for their citizens and water for the canal (which is their economic lifeline)

Changing climate casts a shadow over the future of the Panama Canal – and global trade

Facing a near unprecedented ‘rainfall deficit’, the Panama Canal has been forced to restrict the number of vessels passing through it

www.theguardian.com

I’m not so sure the water levels are an issue here. They dredge the harbor as necessary, and did so recently with the expansion of the ports a few years ago.

I'm also wondering about the Baltimore mayor, for example could the mayor urge companies/everyone who can work home, to work from home during this time? Or maybe encourage staggered work hours? Everyone will need to collectively make some changes because of the traffic. I also understand it's the only reasonable route for trucks with hazardous materials.

Baltimore has more of an industrial economy, we’ve always been reliant on the waterways, railways, and roadways. It’s a distribution hub since it’s situated right there in the Mid-Atlantic. WFH may work for some, but this is going to cause a major issue for the working class… which is most of the Baltimore metro area. The port is one of the largest employers in the city, and right there next to them are the various freight distributors and vendors that rely on the port. In a city with an abysmal economy to begin with… this could mean bad news for Baltimore.

The port workers are going to be very hurt by all this, and the knock-on effects of that/everyone else who depends on the ports economically.

Absolutely. So many businesses here rely on the ports and the rail yards, they work together moving freight. Stuff comes off of a ship, loads onto a rail car, and goes west. Other stuff comes off, it goes on a truck and heads north or south on I-95, THE main artery going up and down the east coast.

I've been reading a little about different ways to add barriers around the columns/piers to add protection...but the ship is too big, nothing would have mattered (not an engineer but this seems to be the case)

There are miles of brightly lit buoys guiding ships in the harbor and out into the Atlantic, concrete walls surrounding the pillars as well as the power lines that run parallel to the bridge. As of the last federal inspection, the bridge and its safety measures passed, which says a lot considering our roads suck here. I’m also curious what else could be added to improve safety, but, anything now would be too little, too late.

 

[dimmerwit]

I have a friend that works at the docks that says that a scenario with an unfamiliar captain wouldn’t happen, because they use local people to pilot the ships into the harbor. I’m not sure if this is a standard procedure, or mandated across the board, but for what it’s worth… I’m hearing that it’s only people that regularly navigate that stretch. I’m not sure whether they pilot remotely or physically board each vessel, but hearing that makes this story that much stranger.

It's standard practice to have pilot(s) navigating around large ports and other areas deemed difficult to navigate. They are physically present and will board incoming or deboard outgoing ships usually by small pilot boats, though in some cases helicopters are used. Pilots are legally required to be present within state borders under Maryland law.

 

[Mark]

It's standard practice to have pilot(s) navigating around large ports and other areas deemed difficult to navigate. They are physically present and will board incoming or deboard outgoing ships usually by small pilot boats, though in some cases helicopters are used. Pilots are legally required to be present within state borders under Maryland law.

Interesting. I can’t swim, and I know what’s in that water. I stay away from it at all costs, so I can only speculate and repeat what people that know better than me say.

Knowing this makes it that much harder to believe it was some kind of error, and all signs are pointing to a mechanical failure. Unsurprisingly, there are plenty of people on social media claiming it’s to detract attention away from this political scandal, or help bolster that person’s campaign. Unreal. They haven’t even scooped the bodies out of the harbor yet.

 

[dimmerwit]

Interesting. I can’t swim, and I know what’s in that water. I stay away from it at all costs, so I can only speculate and repeat what people that know better than me say.

Knowing this makes it that much harder to believe it was some kind of error, and all signs are pointing to a mechanical failure. Unsurprisingly, there are plenty of people on social media claiming it’s to detract attention away from this political scandal, or help bolster that person’s campaign. Unreal. They haven’t even scooped the bodies out of the harbor yet.

Yeah. Having looked into the system Baltimore uses it seems that the docking pilot has command until the Key bridge where his/her partner takes over. Pilots are always experienced navigators anyway but you're looking at someone who basically only controls ships closer than the Key bridge, so they will have enormous knowledge of a very small area of water.

 

[Ben]

Yeah. Having looked into the system Baltimore uses it seems that the docking pilot has command until the Key bridge where his/her partner takes over. Pilots are always experienced navigators anyway but you're looking at someone who basically only controls ships closer than the Key bridge, so they will have enormous knowledge of a very small area of water.

A matter of minutes based on the scanner radio. MDTA police have a substation on the eastern side of the bridge, and an emergency break on the western side. The workers likely weren’t able to gain access to a vehicle quick enough, as with most interstate jobs, they’re typically at the very front of the job site acting as part of the barrier protecting the workers.

Eastern side:
View attachment 12459

Western side:
View attachment 12460

Correct, MDOT was notified, although I’m not entirely sure if they’re the correct agency to report to for a maritime incident, but they would certainly be the correct ones to alert if you’re expecting to collide with the bridge.

I guess that explains why they notified MDOT as soon as possible. If the pilots were all knowledgeable about that area and likely knew what was about to happen, and knew that there were cops and a way to try to stop traffic heading on at both ends, they'd try that immediately.

 

[Mark]

I guess that explains why they notified MDOT as soon as possible. If the pilots were all knowledgeable about that area and likely knew what was about to happen, and knew that there were cops and a way to try to stop traffic heading on at both ends, they'd try that immediately.

For sure. Any commuter familiar with the bridge knows how much of a hot spot it is for police activity. They LOVE posting up there to catch people speeding on the descent heading southwest and they wait at the toll plaza on the east side to catch people speeding through there.

 

[Mark]

Leave it to a local business to make sure the people out there searching are taken care of.

 

[Ben]

View attachment 12467

Leave it to a local business to make sure the people out there searching are taken care of.

That's often the case, and it's always positive to see. Certainly makes me wish the government would have a similar kind of response, but 100% people coming out for their communities is awesome.

 

[Mark]

That's often the case, and it's always positive to see. Certainly makes me wish the government would have a similar kind of response, but 100% people coming out for their communities is awesome.

Oh, I’m sure the federal government will take every opportunity to launder money take on this infrastructure project.

Cargo ship lost power before colliding with Baltimore bridge; 6 presumed dead | CNN

The US Coast Guard says it is suspending its search and rescue efforts for the six individuals still missing after the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.

amp.cnn.com

Coast Guard shifts to recovery mission tomorrow morning. Beyond the one individual without injuries and the one that was taken to Shock Trauma and has since been discharged, no one else has been located at the scene.

 

[Dead2009]

So I live 30 minutes give or take from the bridge, had no idea this happened until I woke up Tuesday morning. I read something yesterday that as soon as the pilot knew they were going to crash into the bridge, he called his dispatch in seconds. Props to the City and County police for shutting down traffic in the time they actually had.

 

[Mark]

So I live 30 minutes give or take from the bridge, had no idea this happened until I woke up Tuesday morning. I read something yesterday that as soon as the pilot knew they were going to crash into the bridge, he called his dispatch in seconds. Props to the City and County police for shutting down traffic in the time they actually had.

Truly impressive that they were able to get it shut down within 2 minutes of the transmission.

An update of sorts for everyone else:

NTSB and other officials recovered the VDR from the Dali, and have begun the process of piecing together the timeline. Within 2 minutes of the mayday being called, the bridge was shut down to vehicular traffic.

Two bodies were recovered from a company truck that was still accessible without moving any of the debris.

The log of the ship’s freight and continuing investigation have indicated a total number of hazardous containers, and some of those are currently in the harbor. It is unknown is any of the breached containers are hazardous.

Shortly after, recovery operations were suspended due to teams covering all areas that could be searched without disturbing the debris. There is another vehicle obstructed by the debris that they cannot safely access at this point.

The largest crane on the eastern seaboard, the North Star, is currently in place with another crane beginning to disassemble the remains of the bridge. There will be essentially a disassembly line of cranes, barges, and tugboats in the harbor by the end of the first week following the incident.

The federal government has already approved the first $60 million towards the costs of “down payments” for the removal of the debris.

This is essentially a summarization of the last few days, I can provide sources if anyone is interested.

 

[Crystal]

Full credit to the pilot and the authorities who shut things down so it wasn't so much worse. Hopefully nothing hazardous is breached and leaking, that would be a second disaster.

 

[Mark]

First cuts were made Saturday night.

 

[Mark]

 

[Ben]

View attachment 12741
View attachment 12742View attachment 12743View attachment 12744View attachment 12745

That is a lot of debris. And the ship being flat on the riverbed. Very cool images of something very fucked up.

 

[Mark]

That is a lot of debris. And the ship being flat on the riverbed. Very cool images of something very fucked up.

Agreed. I knew the harbor was shallow, and the current depth it’s dredged to is recent, but seeing the wreckage underwater and the segments extending above the water line really puts it into perspective. It was no secret that the bridge itself was imposing, a lot of rookie drivers and people fearful of heights/water avoided it and the Bay Bridge because of how intimidating they are, but seeing a segment weigh enough to bury the nose of the ship and still extend into the water and touch the ground is just wild to me.

 

[Fool's Requiem]

I want them to build a suspension bridge to replace it, but I know they're going to just rebuild the damaged parts with a similar design.

 

[Dead2009]

Baltimore Ravens, Baltimore Orioles Donate $10 Million to Maryland Tough Baltimore Strong Key Bridge Fund

The Ravens and Orioles joined forces to help the Baltimore Community Foundation’s Maryland Tough Baltimore Strong Key Bridge Fund.

www.baltimoreravens.com

 

[Mark]

Photos: Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore

Photos show the cargo ship, Dali, after it struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26, 2024, in Baltimore, causing the entire structure to collapse.

www.wbaltv.com

 

[Crystal]

Photos: Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore

Photos show the cargo ship, Dali, after it struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26, 2024, in Baltimore, causing the entire structure to collapse.

www.wbaltv.com

Just stunning scenes.