Discover the specifics of the Dali cargo ship incident that led to the dramatic collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore and the implications for six bridge construction workers presumed deceased.
MEGA VESSELS: NAVIGATING THE SEAS
Standing the Dali upright would rival the height of the Parisian Eiffel Tower or rise to approximately two-thirds of New York’s Empire State Building.
The behemoth has a capacity for nearly 10,000 standard shipping containers, 4,700 of which were on board during the calamity. Despite its magnitude, the Dali is modest compared to the largest container ships that can haul over 24,000 containers. The benefits of operating such large-scale vessels in terms of economy and environment are evident. However, the immense size and mass of these ships introduce complexity in steering and halting them in emergencies.
Specifications of the Dali: Length of 984 feet (300 meters) and an empty weight of 95,000 tons.
Container Capacity: 10,000 units of 20-foot (6-meter) containers.
SOS COMMUNICATION PRESERVES LIVES
Sharing its namesake with Salvador Dali, the renowned Spanish surrealist, the Dali was built by the prominent shipbuilding company, Hyundai Heavy Industries, in South Korea and set forth in late 2014. The vessel is the property of Grace Ocean Private Ltd, bearing the Singapore flag and operates on diesel propulsion.
As the Dali commenced its journey from Baltimore to Sri Lanka on a charter assignment for the Maersk shipping conglomerate, distress early Tuesday signalled a loss of power and steering aboard the vessel. Shortly after, the ship collided with a bridge pillar, resulting in instantaneous collapse.
Moving at approximately 8 knots (9 mph or 15 kph), the distress call managed to halt bridge traffic, potentially averting further fatalities, but the clearance of the bridge repair crew was not achieved in time. By Wednesday, two of the workers’ bodies were recovered by divers.
Post-collision, reports confirmed that all crew members of the Dali were safe, with only one minor injury treated at the hospital.
INSPECTION HISTORY OF THE DALI
The Dali had recently undergone successful inspections: first in Chile during June 2023 where an issue with a fuel pressure gauge was rectified, followed by a U.S. Coast Guard inspection in New York in September where it passed without issues noted. Prior to its departure from Baltimore, routine engine maintenance was carried out as per Coast Guard records.
Authorities perceive the crash as an unintentional incident.
The Coast Guard has extracted and presented the vessel’s voyage data recorder to the National Transportation Safety Board to aid in constructing an incident timeline. A preliminary announcement of findings is anticipated in the near future. In parallel, Singapore has announced its independent investigation into the matter, focusing on future improvement rather than assigning blame.
THE AFTERMATH
The removal of bridge rubble from the channel bed is underway, and scrutiny of the Dali’s damage is necessary to ensure no hazardous leaks or potential sinking. Damage assessment has identified 13 affected containers on the vessel.
The subsequent phase involves towing the Dali back to port and unloading its cargo.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has indicated that determining the time frame for the Port of Baltimore’s reopening or the bridge’s reconstruction is premature; referring to the original five-year construction period required for the bridge.
FAQs About the Baltimore Key Bridge Collapse and the Dali Container Ship
- What is the Dali container ship? The Dali is a large cargo ship that collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.
- How large is the Dali? The Dali is 984 feet long, weighs 95,000 tons empty, and can carry up to 10,000 20-foot containers.
- Did the Dali pass recent inspections? Yes, the Dali passed inspections in Chile in June 2023 and by the U.S. Coast Guard in New York in September 2023 with no significant issues noted.
- What caused the Dali to collide with the bridge? Early indications suggest a loss of power and control over the steering system led to the collision. An investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board and Singapore is underway.
- What are the next steps in the aftermath of the collision? Efforts are focused on removing the bridge debris and assessing the damage to the Dali. The cargo also needs to be offloaded once the ship is towed back to port.
Conclusion
The Baltimore Key Bridge collapse is a somber event highlighting the implications of operating massive maritime vessels in close proximity to vital infrastructure. The ongoing investigations and efforts to remove debris are paramount to understanding the causality of the incident and preventing future occurrences. As the shipping world reflects on this event, the balance between the benefits of large-scale commercial shipping and the inherent risks must be carefully managed to maintain safety for both the maritime industry and the communities it serves.