The collapse of a bridge in Baltimore, United States, became a national disaster for the United States; Not in vain did President Biden have to make statements about it.
Photo: REUTERS
What is known a day after the collision of the bulk carrier Dali with a support bridge in Baltimore
The collapse of a bridge in Baltimore, United States, became a national disaster for the United States; Not in vain did President Biden have to make statements about it. The port of Baltimore, difficult to access now, is the busiest in the country. The damage caused by the supply chain disruption, Newsweek writes, was estimated between $9 million and $15 million per day. Proponents of the conspiracy theory even suspected sabotage and panicked: how could other objects in the United States “collapse” in the same way?
Biden first began to reassure citizens: there was no malicious intent, the bulk carrier Dali (flag of Singapore, destination port in Sri Lanka) crashed into a support of the Baltimore bridge due to an “accident.” The video shows that a few seconds before the collision, all the lights on the ship went out: the ship was completely without power.
The port of Baltimore, currently difficult to access, is the busiest in the country.
Photo: REUTERS
Previously, Dalí also had problems: in addition to the fact that in 2016 in the Belgian Antwerp a cargo ship crashed into a dock while docking, last year it had to remain in the Chilean port of San Antonio due to engine problems.
Now the crew, 22 people, are still sitting on the ship and are being interrogated. None of the sailors were injured. But six construction workers who were working on the bridge at the time of the collision are missing. Two were Guatemalan citizens. Missing are Salvadoran Miguel Luna, father of three children; Minor Yasir Suazo from Honduras and Mexican citizen.
In total, eight people fell into the water and two managed to swim out. Nothing is yet known about the cars that may have fallen from the bridge.
The freighter Dali crashed into the abutment of a Baltimore bridge due to an “accident.”
Photo: REUTERS
The main object of export and import of automobiles passes through the port of Baltimore; The second “billing product” is imported sugar. President Biden has promised that the Francis Scott Key Bridge will soon be restored with federal funds. Experts are less optimistic: just dismantling the collapsed structures will take several weeks.
CHRONOLOGY: HOW THE BALTIMORE BRIDGE COLLAPSED
A day later, it became clear how events unfolded on the night of March 26.
At 0:30 a.m. the bulk carrier Dalí left the port and headed towards the bridge. At 01:26, the crew sent a message to the ground that the engines were stalled and issued a distress signal. Exactly four minutes later, at 1:30, the three hundred meter long ship crashed at a speed of 8 knots (about 15 km/h) into the support of the 2.5 kilometer bridge. The iron beams broke loose from their supports and fell into the water.
Now the crew, 22 people, are still sitting on the ship and are being interrogated.
Photo: REUTERS
As soon as the coast guard received the SOS signal, the order was given to urgently block car traffic on the bridge.
“A ship is approaching that has just lost control,” sounds in the recording of the negotiations published by The Daily Mail.
Part of the bridge fell on the bow of the freighter. The fuel tank was damaged and part of the diesel engine ended up in the river.
“Dali” was heading to the capital of Sri Lanka, Colombo. The vessel was chartered by the Danish shipping giant Maersk. The cargo ship was supposed to pass through Africa from the south to avoid the Red Sea and possible attacks by the Yemeni Houthis. The ship was scheduled to arrive in Sri Lanka on April 27.
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