Maritime incident archives from Vessel Finder and Shipwrecklog reveal that the cargo ship that collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore was also involved in a collision in Antwerp, Belgium in 2016.
The Singapore-registered container ship Dali, chartered by Maersk and operated by Synergy Marine Group, is a massive vessel measuring approximately 948 feet long and capable of carrying 10,000 containers.
According to authorities in Antwerp, on July 11, 2016, Dali's bow veered off course and collided with a quay as it attempted to depart the North Sea container terminal. the collision caused substantial damage to several meters of the container ship's hull due to structural issues that impaired its seaworthiness. The ship moored in nearby Deurganckdok before it was detained by Belgian officials for repairs and further investigation.
"As a general rule, these accidents are investigated and ships are only allowed to leave after experts have determined it is safe for them to do so," said a spokesperson for the Antwerp.
Reuters confirmed that the ship seen in footage of the Antwerp incident matches visuals of the vessel involved in the Baltimore Bridge collapse.
Meanwhile, on March 26, that same ship struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, causing it to collapse and several cars to plummet into the Patapsco River below. The accident affected those vehicles that crossed the bridge and fell 55 meters into the water. Six out of eight construction workers repairing potholes on the bridge also went missing; two workers were pulled from the water and the other one is currently in critical condition. Sonar has detected vehicles in the water, but the casualties remain uncertain. (Related: Baltimore bridge collapse due to ship strike will have sweeping economic repercussions.)
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Local authorities detected cars in the water hours after bridge collapse
According to several reports, Dali lost power even before colliding with a section of the support column of the Baltimore Bridge.
"As the vessel struck the bridge in the middle of the night, it caused a din that could be heard ashore and immediately toppled an essential mid-Atlantic thoroughfare into the frigid waters," the Baltimore Sun reported.
"Several cars were knocked into the Patapsco River and as of Tuesday around 11 a.m., authorities were searching for six construction workers who had been repairing potholes on the bridge. Two others were rescued – one who was briefly hospitalized and another who declined to go to a hospital. Extensive rescue efforts were ongoing."
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, both Democrats, immediately declared a state of emergency after the incident. The Maryland Transportation Authority Police prevented cars from driving onto the bridge moments before the collapse and after receiving a call from the container ship.
A few hours after the accident, Baltimore Fire Department Chief James Wallace reported that the use of sonar devices – which can penetrate as deep as 50 feet underwater – and underwater drones detected the presence of vehicles in the water. At least 20 vehicles were on the bridge at the time of the collapse. It is unclear how many plummeted into the water.
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Watch Dave Walsh explains why the bridge collapse in Baltimore will affect the port and economy.
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