Monday, 1 April 2024
A tragedy struck Baltimore when a cargo ship collided with Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing it to collapse. The accident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday March 26 2024, when the ship lost power and struck one of the bridge pillars. Two individuals were rescued, with one sustaining severe injuries and in critical condition. At the time of the accident, there were reports that some workers were performing basic road maintenance on the bridge. The vessel involved was the Dali, a Singapore-flagged cargo ship sailing from Baltimore to the capital of Sri Lanka, Colombo. The ship was carrying approximately 4,679 containers.
The cargo ship Dali is seen after running into and collapsing the Francis Scott Key Bridge
on March 26, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland. Tasos Katopodis/Getty Image.
This tragedy reminds us of the importance of safety in the maritime sector and adequate transportation infrastructure. Bridges like Francis Scott Key Bridge (Baltimore) are the lifelines of the economy and daily life. Disruption to shipping routes, delivery delays, additional costs, and supply chain disruptions are some of the main impacts of this incident. This not only causes direct losses in the shipment process. Recovery and improvement of transportation infrastructure are crucial to address the long-term impacts of the accident.