Rescue operations were suspended Tuesday evening around the bridge in Baltimore, a major port on the east coast of the United States, which collapsed after being hit by a container ship flying the flag of Singapore.
Searches were to resume on Wednesday, but six people reported missing after falling into the water are presumed dead.
Here is what we know about the disaster:
What happened?
At around 1:30 a.m. (05:30 GMT) on Tuesday, a Singapore-flagged container ship named Dali, 300 meters long, bound for Sri Lanka, collided with a pier of the Francis Scott Key bridge in Baltimore, Maryland.
In the space of a few seconds, almost the entire bridge collapsed into the water, approximately 15 meters below, dragging vehicles and people with it.
Shortly before the impact, the ship had appealed for help to the authorities, saying it had a technical problem, which made it possible to cut off part of the road traffic and save lives, according to the local governor.
Boats, helicopters, divers and sonar were deployed to try to find survivors.
How many victims?
United States: trajectory of the Dali ship which hit a bridge in Baltimore / Nalini LEPETIT-CHELLA, Laurence SAUBADU / AFP
Six people who fell into the water and were missing were declared presumed dead Tuesday evening.
“Based on the duration of the search carried out…, the temperature of the water, at present we do not estimate that we will find these individuals still alive,” declared the Vice Admiral of the Guards- ribs Shannon Gilreath.
The “active phase” of the search was suspended due to “the tide and (the) currents which make the work of divers dangerous”, he added. However, divers were expected to be on site again on Wednesday morning.
The missing were members of a team of eight workers who were working on the bridge at the time of the accident.
Two Guatemalans are among the eight people initially reported missing, authorities there said.
Two people were pulled out of the water by emergency services. One was taken to hospital in serious condition while a second was unhurt.
Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld said authorities “do not believe” people could be trapped in cars that fell from the bridge.
No members of the Dali’s crew were injured, according to Synergy Marine Group, the shipping company operating the container ship.
What is the cause of the disaster?
Police Chief Richard Worley, Mayor Brandon Scott (r) and Fire Chief James Wallace (l) during a press conference following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26, 2024 in Baltimore, in Maryland / Jim WATSON / AFP
When calling for help shortly before the tragedy, the crew of the Singapore-flagged container ship explained that they were faced with a breakdown in the ship’s propulsion system.
“As a result, it was unable to maintain course in the desired direction and collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge,” Singapore Port Authority said on Tuesday.
CCTV footage shows the container ship’s lights go out twice in the minutes before the tragedy, as well as smoke around the ship.
The Dali had dropped anchors before the accident, in accordance with emergency procedures, according to Singaporean authorities, this maneuver aimed at slowing down the ship.
American authorities have repeatedly stated that there was “no indication” of a terrorist act.
Experts have already expressed doubts about the strength of the bridge, several arches of which have been destroyed along a large length.
The MV Dali, a recent container ship 300 meters long and 48 meters wide, was setting sail for Sri Lanka.
It was operated by shipping company Synergy Group and chartered by Danish shipping giant Maersk.
Singapore’s port authority said on Wednesday that it had passed two inspections in 2023 and that a faulty fuel pressure monitoring gauge was repaired in June.
Jennifer Homendy, head of the US Transportation Safety Agency (NTSB), explained that the container ship’s data recorders would represent “a crucial part of the investigation”.
And now ?
Maritime traffic is “suspended until further notice” in Baltimore, authorities said. The port is one of the largest shipping ports in the United States.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed after being hit by a container ship, March 26, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland / ROBERTO SCHMIDT / AFP
The authorities are already preparing for the significant economic consequences of cutting the bridge, a crucial highway axis on the Atlantic coast of the United States, a country where truck transport plays an essential role.
Transport Minister Pete Buttigieg warned of a “major and prolonged impact on supply chains”.
President Joe Biden has pledged that the bridge will be rebuilt, admitting that it will take time. Wanting to get ahead of the insurers, the president said he wanted “the federal state to pay the entire cost of reconstruction”.
