AAuthorities continue to search for six people missing after a ship crashed into a pillar of the Key Bridge in Baltimore, USA, causing it to collapse.
After hours of searching, Jeffrey Pritzker, executive vice president of Brawner Builders, confirmed to NBC News that the missing are presumed dead. The names of the victims were not disclosed.
The accident happened at 1:30 am (5:30 am in Lisbon) and authorities continue to work to establish exactly how it all happened.
Maryland Governor Wes Moore revealed that the ship’s crew issued a ‘mayday’ warning before colliding with the bridge, but it is unclear exactly what time they did so.
Here is the chronology (with local time)
1h24: The lights of the DALI container ship begin to flash as it goes down the river, according to the video of the collision.
1h26: The ship begins to change course towards the Key Bridge pillar, a CNN analysis reveals.
1h26 a 1h27: The ship’s lights continue to turn on and off.
1h27: The ship hits the bridge, causing it to quickly collapse.
1h40: Emergency services begin to receive calls with reports and requests for help.
01h50: The first fire unit arrives at the scene and reports the total collapse of the Key Bridge, according to the head of the corporation.
Contradictory information about victims
Paul Wiedfeld, secretary of the Maryland Department of Transportation, said emergency crews were still searching for six people in the water, believed to be part of the construction team working on the bridge at the time of the collision.
It should be noted that initially 8 people were missing, two of whom were rescued. One of them is hospitalized in serious condition, while the other did not require treatment.
Wiedfeld said he still doesn’t believe there was anyone in the water who was in a vehicle when the bridge collapsed. “We believe it’s just the construction team”, replied the transport secretary to journalists.
However, Baltimore City Fire Chief James Wallace told CNN International that using infrared sonar technology they found three passenger vehicles, a truck and a fifth vehicle submerged in water.
Ship launched Mayday and dropped anchors
Maryland Governor Wes Moore revealed that the ship issued a ‘mayday’ alert before colliding with the bridge, which allowed authorities to halt traffic there.
“We are grateful that between the warning and the collapse we had those responsible who were able to stop the flow of more cars that were not on the bridge,” he added.
The Dali ship also dropped anchors as part of the emergency procedure before colliding with the Francis Scott Key Bridge, the Port Authority of Singapore said.
Singapore, where the ship was registered, will launch investigation
In a statement, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) announced that it will launch an investigation into the Dali container ship and bridge collapse in Baltimore.
The MPA also said it is in contact with the US Coast Guard and “will provide full cooperation”.
Ship had already been involved in collision in Belgium
The same ship that collided with Baltimore’s Key Bridge this Tuesday was also involved in a collision leaving the port of Antwerp, Belgium, in 2016.
According to Vessel Finder and cited by The Guardian, the Dali – a 290-meter freighter with capacity for 10,000 containers – was leaving the container terminal in Antwerp, Belgium, towards Bremerhaven, Germany.
In doing so, its bow will have swayed, causing the stern to scrape the side of the pier, significantly damaging several meters of the hull.
The ship was reportedly detained by authorities and docked in Deurganckdok, Belgium. No injuries were reported.
[Notícia atualizada às 22h43]
Read Also: Ship that collapsed bridge in Baltimore warned that it had an electrical problem
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Source: https://www.noticiasaominuto.com/mundo/2528754/tudo-o-que-se-sabe-sobre-o-colapso-em-baltimore-e-as-imagens
