Ship That Collided With Baltimore Bridge Also Involved in 2016 Antwerp Collision: Port Authority

Baltimore: The container ship that collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, USA on Tuesday was also involved in an accident in a port of Antwerp in Belgium back in 2016, Reuters has reported. Quoting an Antwerp port official, the report said that the ship, identified as MS Dali, hit a quay on July 11 of that year while it was attempting to exit the North Sea container terminal. The port authority spokesperson, however, declined to give any particular details about the accident and why it happened, only stating that the ship had remained at the docks for some time after the collision so that it could undergo repairs. 

The spokesperson said that such incidents are investigated “as a general rule” and that ships are only allowed to leave after experts determine that it safe for them to do so. 

The MS Dali, owned by Grace Ocean Pte Ltd and chartered by Maersk, reportedly lost power on Tuesday and struck one of the support structures of the 2.6 km long Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore with such force that part of the bridge collapsed and several people and their vehicles fell into the water below. Two people have been rescued.

However, the Associated Press, quoting authorities, said that at least six people still remain unaccounted for as of late morning. 

In an address later in the day, US President Joe Biden vowed that the federal government would cover the entire cost of rebuilding the Baltimore Bridge.