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The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, USA, collapsed after its pillars were hit by a container ship. Photo/AP Photo/Matt Rourke
BALTIMORE – A bridge in Baltimore, United States (US), collapsed on Tuesday (26/3/2024). This happened after one of the poles was hit by a passing container ship.
The accident caused several passing vehicles to fall into the river. Apart from that, there were also several victims.
5 Facts about Bridge Collapses in Baltimore, USA
1. Francis Scott Key Bridge Becomes a Victim
The bridge that the container ship struck in Baltimore is the Francis Scott Key. Quoting NPR, Thursday (28/3/2024), the bridge is one of three crossing routes at Baltimore Harbor.
Francis Scott Key was built to reduce nearby traffic congestion and provide a passage for vehicles that are not allowed on other bridges. Therefore, its function is very useful for Maryland residents and other drivers traveling across the US East Coast.
About 1.6 miles long, the Francis Scott Key bridge carries around 30,000 passengers every day. Apart from that, the overall traffic volume can reach 11.3 million vehicles per year.
2. Hit by the Dali Container Ship
The Dali container ship was the culprit that hit the Francis Scott Key bridge in Baltimore. The ship was scheduled to leave Baltimore for Sri Lanka.
The owner of the Singapore-flagged ship is Grace Ocean Pte Ltd, according to LSEG data. Measuring around 289 meters, the ship is full of containers.
3. Causes of Accidents
Some time before the incident occurred, the Dali ship operator issued a warning that the ship had lost power. Only a few minutes later, the ship hit a pillar supporting the bridge and collapsed it.
Given the enormous weight of the ship, Dali hit the bridge supports with significant force. Therefore, the bridge could not survive.