Harrowing Ship Strike Causes Partial Bridge Collapse in Maryland

A ship crashed into a bridge in Maryland early Tuesday morning, causing it to collapse. According to ship tracking data, the vessel is Singapore-flagged and measures 984 feet long. The livestream showed the moment at 1:28 a.m. when the vessel struck what appeared to be a bridge support beam, causing the bridge to collapse in less than 10 seconds.

The Dali, as it was identified by onlookers, approached a support beam of the Francis Scott Key Bridge at around 1:24 a.m., with its lights turning off minutes before impact before turning back on again as it neared the bridge. Despite attempts to reach both Grace Ocean and Synergy Marine Group for comment, neither company responded. The incident was confirmed by representatives for the Maryland Transportation Authority as due to a collapse caused by the ship strike, leading to a partial bridge closure.

The Baltimore Police Department has confirmed a partial bridge collapse and that workers may have been in the water at this time of writing. Representatives from the Maryland Transportation Authority did not immediately respond to requests for comment. This incident serves as an important reminder of the potential dangers of maritime traffic near bridges and highlights the need for maintaining safe distances to prevent accidents like this from occurring in the future.