On March 26, the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed after being struck by a Singaporean-flagged cargo ship, killing six workers and closing one of the largest ports in the United States. The collapse has had ripple effects across the shipping industry, causing significant manufacturing delays and an estimated $400 million in repair costs, according to PBS NewsHour.
Shortly after departing Baltimore’s port, the cargo ship experienced two power outages, leading to the collision with one of the Key Bridge’s piers. According to a radio recording posted by Broadcastify, the ship sent an emergency call to local response teams before the bridge collapsed, allowing a police officer to close the surrounding roads.
The Baltimore City Fire Department immediately launched rescue efforts in the Patapsco River, saving two of the eight workers on duty. Of the six casualties, a total of four bodies have been recovered since April 16, according to a report from CBS News.
“This collapse was again a freak accident; everything went wrong,” said sophomore Conner Graham, an Engineering Club head. “It was a complete engineering nightmare — the fact that one segment was plowed through should not mean that other segments snap,” he added.
The FBI investigated the incident to determine whether the ship’s crew members knew the power difficulties before departure. “The FBI is present aboard the cargo ship conducting court authorized law enforcement activity,” the agency said in a statement. No new information has been released since the initial report, but the Justice Department promised the federal agents were conducting a “court-approved search.”
Repairs will take several years to complete, requiring significant tax dollars and federal and state funding. “I would support tax dollars going to build [structures] for older bridges and maybe work being done to improve bridges’ plasticity, at least for those in major port cities,” explained Graham.
Despite the complex and dangerous situation caused by the collapse, a joint statement from Governor Moore, Mayor Scott, County Executive Olszewski and County Executive Pittman provided a tone of hope to the situation.
“The collapse of the Key Bridge has resulted in a complex, dangerous situation for everyone involved in this operation. But our commitment to bringing closure with dignity will not waver,” they said.
