A drone view of the Dali cargo vessel, which crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on March 26. - PHOTO: REUTERS
BALTIMORE (The Straits Times/ANN): A heavy chunk of a bridge in Baltimore that rests on a ship that knocked down the bridge will have to be hacked into pieces and hauled away by cranes before the vessel can be towed away.
Until then, the 22 all-Indian crew members of the Dali container ship will likely have to stay on board.
In the early hours of March 26, the Singapore-flagged ship “lost propulsion” and rammed into a pillar of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing it to collapse into the Patapsco River.
“The crew will probably move with the ship, so long as nothing goes wrong in the process of removing debris,” Petty Officer Carmen Caver of the United States Coast Guard told The Straits Times on March 29.
“They will most likely go shoreside when the boat itself does,” she said, speaking from the Unified Command and Joint Information Centre set up to coordinate responses and disseminate information about the bridge.
Ms Caver, however, added that she could not specify the timeframe in which the ship will be moved.
The 300m-long ship, about the length of three football fields, was headed for a four-week voyage to Sri Lanka.
Among the 4,700 containers on board are 56 that carry 764 tonnes of hazardous materials, like corrosive and flammable liquids and lithium-ion batteries.
Describing the complex operations to clear the wreckage, Maryland Governor Wes Moore said giant floating crane Chesapeake 1000 had reached the scene, but it could lift only up to 1,000 tonnes of debris.
“One of the challenges is that the Key Bridge, which sits on top of the vessel right now, that portion weighs somewhere between 3,000 and 4,000 tonnes,” he added at a press conference on March 29.
The US Army Corps of Engineers, which is leading the cleanup, said the top priority is to allow traffic to begin flowing again by clearing the shipping channel of the chunks of the bridge.
Next, the pieces that fell on the ship will be cut into pieces to be lifted before the vessel is towed away. Lastly, concrete and steel from the bridge that litter the river bed will be dredged up.
While that happens, the crew is required to stay on board and help with the investigations.
Investigators from Singapore’s Transport Safety Investigation Bureau and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore have travelled to Baltimore to join the efforts led by the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
The ship’s captain, his mate and chief engineer have spoken to investigators, NTSB chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said.
President Joe Biden is expected to visit the site of the accident – which has crippled the Baltimore port – next week.
Ms Caver said: “The crew show us around, they make sure that we are completely in the know with everything that’s going on with the boat. They are making sure it stays okay and in good standing where it’s at.
“Other than that, they’re just doing their day-to-day normal routines, relaxing and taking some time off while the investigation is ongoing.”
India’s Foreign Ministry said on March 28 that the crew are “in good shape”. A helpline set up by the Indian embassy in Washington, DC to provide consular service has not been tapped, ST has learnt.
“For the foreseeable future, there is absolutely nothing that they are in need of,” Ms Caver said, adding that she could not speak about their morale.
“I couldn’t speculate on exactly how they’re doing, but I do know if they need anything or request anything, we immediately try to get it for them, whether it be a chaplain to talk to, or just general day-to-day things.
“They have cell service, they’re able to talk to other people outside the boat. They’re close enough to land where they have all the services they need.”
Many volunteers from the local community have offered to render help if extra provisions or supplies are needed, she noted.
Mr Darren Wilson, spokesman for Synergy Marine, which manages the Dali, said: “The crew is being well looked after.”
“They’re still on board the ship because they still have jobs and duties onboard,” he added, noting that there is close contact between the authorities and the crew.
“They are a top priority. Synergy has been in touch with their families and keeps them updated on what’s going on.” - The Straits Times/ANN
