The 22-man crew aboard the Dali, a Singapore-flagged cargo ship that crashed into the Frances Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore in the early hours of March 26, are all Indian.
At 1.30 am on Tuesday, the Dali, which spans a length of 984 feet and a width of 157 feet, lost power and slammed into one of two pillars supporting the Frances Key Bridge, causing the entire structure to collapse into the Patapsco River.
The Dali issued a May Day call as the container vessel headed on its collision course with the bridge. That gave authorities time to halt traffic entering the bridge, preventing mass casualties hours before the busy morning commute began. A construction crew was fixing potholes on the bridge when the accident happened. Seven vehicles fell into the water and divers are searching for survivors. Two survivors have been rescued so far and six people are said to be missing.
The Maryland Governor Wes Moore called the Indian crew ‘heroes,’ saying that their swift SOS call allowed authorities to take immediate action to close the bridge. The ship was coming in at a rapid speed of 8 knots. “I am thankful for the folks who made that call,” said the Governor. They saved a lot of lives.” He has declared a state of emergency to mobilize federal resources for the crisis.
The vessel is owned by Grace Ocean Private Ltd and was on its way to Colombo from Baltimore.
In a statement, the ship management company Synergy Marine Group confirmed that all 22 Indian crew members, including the two pilots, were accounted for and that there were no reports of any injuries, and no pollution occurred.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge is a continuous steel arch through-truss bridge connecting Baltimore and Dundalk, Maryland. It is a designated hazardous materials route estimated to carry 11.5 million vehicles annually.
An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the crash.