A second temporary channel has now been opened in the waters around the wreckage of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, to get trade and movement of goods in and out of the port back up and running.
The first temporary shipping route opened on Monday, with Captain David O’Connell describing it as “an important first step along the road to reopening the port of Baltimore”.
Officials said the second route for deeper vessels launched on Tuesday, with a third channel for larger vessels planned for the coming days.
New underwater images were released by the US Navy on Tuesday, capturing the wreckage deep in the Patapsco River.
This comes as the Dali ship’s owners have denied all responsibility for the deadly crash and seek a cap of $43.7m for any lawsuit payouts.
In a court filing, the ship’s owner Grace Ocean Private Limited and operator Synergy Marine PTE denied fault or neglect over the collapse that killed six construction workers: “[It] was not due to any fault, neglect, or want of care on the part of [ship owner & operator], the Vessel, or any persons or entities for whose acts [ship owner & operator] may be responsible.”
Key points
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Dali ship owners deny responsibility for deadly bridge crash
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Baltimore opens temporary shipping route around wreckage
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Maryland governor warns the disaster poses a ‘national economic catastrophe’
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A 200-tonne bridge segment removed from Patapsco River
Second temporary channel opens around Baltimore bridge wreckage
11:31 , Rachel Sharp
A second temporary channel has now been opened in the waters around the wreckage of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, to get trade and movement of goods in and out of the port back up and running.
The first temporary shipping route opened on Monday, with Captain David O’Connell describing it as “an important first step along the road to reopening the port of Baltimore”.
Officials said the second route for deeper vessels launched on Tuesday, with a third channel for larger vessels planned for the coming days.
What economic impact will the port’s trade disruption have?
11:00 , Kelly Rissman
The Singapore-flagged Dali container ship has shut down the Port of Baltimore indefinitely after it collapsed the 1.6 mile long Francis Scott Key bridge on the east US coast.
Around a dozen cargo ships were estimated to be stuck inside the port unable to leave as the bridge spans the only route in and out of the harbor where it is located. Another 30 small small cargo ships, tug boats and pleasure craft were also in the port, while about 40 heading for Baltimore were forced to divert
US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said that a “main area of concern” was the livelihoods of port workers, telling a press conference on Wednesday that thousands of jobs could be affected by the incident.
Baltimore handled 52.3 million tons of foreign cargo last year worth about $80.8bn. The port was the second busiest for coal exports last year, with its eight dry bulk terminals exporting 22 million tonnes of coal last year and small amounts of other metals and minerals.
At a White House press briefing on Wednesday, Mr Buttigieg adressed the impact of the crash on the local economy, saying that some 8,000 jobs were directly associated with port activities.
“Last I checked… about $2m in wages are at stake every day and that’s one of the areas we are concerned about,” he said.
Read the full story…
Baltimore bridge collapse sparks trade disruption as port shut indefinitely
In photos: 3D images capture the wreckage in the Patapsco River
10:00 , Kelly Rissman
WATCH: White House vows to ‘get to the bottom’ of Baltimore Bridge collapse
09:00 , Kelly Rissman
How did the crash occur?
08:00 , Kelly Rissman
The cause of the collision is still being investigated, but evidence suggests the vessel lost power just before it crashed into the bridge.
The NTSB recovered the voyage data recorder (VDR), or “black box,” which provided a minute-by-minute timeline of the lead-up to the crash.
The data was made public on 27 March, showing that the Dali departed from Baltimore’s Seagirt Marine Terminal at 12.39am on Tuesday 26 March.
By 1.24am, the ship’s bridge audio recorded numerous alarms. Around the same time, the VDR stopped recording the vessel’s system data, but it was able to continue taping audio from an alternative power source.
The VDR resumed recording the system data and captured steering commands and orders about its rudder. Seconds later, the ship’s pilot issued a radio call to tugboats close by asking for assistance for the stricken vessel. The pilot association dispatcher then called the MDTA duty officer about a blackout, NTSB said.
A minute later, the pilot ordered the Dali to drop the port anchor and issued another high-frequency radio call, reporting that the ship had lost all power and was approaching the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
A transit authority duty officer alerted two units — one on each side of the bridge — who were already on the scene and ordered them to stop traffic, shutting down all lanes.
Two minutes after the warning call was made, at 1.29am, the VDR recorded 33 seconds of sound “consistent with” the vessel colliding into the bridge, the NTSB wrote. The Dali was moving at just under 8 miles per hour.
The pilot then radioed the US Coast Guard to report the bridge had come down.
While deeper analysis of the black box data has yet to come out, some experts have also questioned whether the structural integrity of the bridge itself was strong enough.
Julian Carter, a structural and civil engineering expert, earlier told Sky News that the structures of the bridge were “very weak” at certain points.
Fire officials said earlier that they do not have any information as to whether there was a problem with the 300-metre-long ship, and have not spoken to the pilot of the vessel yet.
Chief Wallace added that he could not confirm if there had been a fuel leakage from the cargo ship.
“We hope as the sun comes up, we will get a much better picture if we do have a fuel spill and what the impact has been so far,” he said.
Gov Moore said on 27 March that it’s still unclear what caused the ship’s power to go out. “There needs to be accountability to make sure these things do not happen again and that we have a system in place to make sure they don’t,” he said at a press conference.
Remembering the victims: Miguel Luna
06:00 , Kelly Rissman
Miguel Luna was the first of six victims who went missing when the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed on Tuesday to be named.
Luna is one of the men who is now presumed dead, his wife María del Carmen Castellón told NBC sister station Telemundo 44 in Spanish.
After the bridge collapsed Ms Castellón said family members like her were able to get into the restricted zone while they desperately waited to hear news of their loved ones.
“They only tell us that we have to wait, that for now, they can’t give us information,” she said earlier in the day.
“[We feel] devastated, devastated because our heart is broken because we don’t know if they’ve rescued them yet. We’re just waiting to hear any news.”
One relative of Luna’s also told Sky News they were “distraught” as they waited to hear news, and that some family members were taken to a location in Baltimore by police, where they could be with families of the other missing people.
His loved ones reportedly said he is from El Salvador and has children.
Luna was also identified by the non-profit organisation Casa, which provides services around Baltimore and other areas to immigrant communities.
“Miguel Luna, from El Salvador, left at 6:30 p.m. Monday evening for work and since, has not come home. He is a husband, a father of three, and has called Maryland his home for over 19 years,” Casa wrote in a statement.
One of Luna’s children, Marvin Luna, told The Washington Post that he knew his father was working on the Key Bridge overnight but did not know it collapsed until one of his friends called him up and said, “The bridge is … gone.”
Marvin then called his father’s phone, but there was no reply.
The latest from the Key Bridge Response
05:00 , Kelly Rissman
The tugboat Crystal Coast pushing a fuel barge, transited the temporary alternate channel created by the Key Bridge Response Unified Command, at 3 p.m., today and is the first vessel to use the channel since the bridge collapsed into the federal waterway on Tuesday.
The barge is used to supply jet fuel to the Department of Defense (DOD) and was transiting to Dover Air Force Base.
The Captain of the Port (COPT) established the temporary alternate channel near Sollers Point for commercially-essential vessels. The temporary channel is on the northeast side of the main ship channel in the vicinity of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. This action is part of a phased approach to opening the main federal channel.
This new temporary channel is marked with government-lighted aids to navigation. It will be limited for transit at the discretion of the COTP and during daylight hours only. This temporary channel has a controlling depth of 11 feet, a 264-foot horizontal clearance, and vertical clearance of 95 feet.
The Unified Command is working to establish a second, temporary alternate channel on the southwest side of the main channel. This second channel will allow for deeper draft vessels with an anticipated draft restriction of 15 to 16 feet.
Commercial traffic starts to move
04:00 , Kelly Rissman
A temporary shipping channel has opened around the Port of Baltimore to keep commercial traffic coming into the city following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge last week.
It is located on the northeast side of the main channel close to the bridge site. It has been marked with government-lighted aids for navigation. Officials said the passage is 11 feet deep with a 264-foot horizontal clearance and a vertical clearance of 95 feet.
It will be accessible to commercially essential vessels, officials added. The action marks one of the first in the effort to reopen the channel. Over the weekend, authorities removed a 250-tonne part of the wreckage from the site.
“This marks an important first step along the road to reopening the port of Baltimore,” US Coast Guard Captain David O’Connell, federal on-scene coordinator, said on Monday. “By opening this alternate route, we will support the flow of marine traffic into Baltimore.”
On Monday, workers were focused on removing a 350-tonne part of the bridge. A representative of the US Coast Guard who spoke to reporters at an afternoon news conference said that officials were also working on creating a second southwest channel to help deeper vessels coming into the area.
Michelle Del Rey has the full story…
Temporary channels to open around collapsed Baltimore bridge wreckage
WATCH: Moment first vessel passes through temporary alternate channel in Baltimore
03:00 , Kelly Rissman
Could ‘Titanic law’ protect owner of ship in Baltimore bridge crash from compensation claims?
02:00 , Kelly Rissman
The owner of the ship that collided with the Baltimore Francis Scott Key Bridge has filed a petition in federal court to restrict its amount of liability in the tragedy which resulted in the deaths of six people.
Grace Ocean Private Limited, the owner of the Dali ship, and Synergy Marine Group, the ship’s manager, submitted the filing under the Limitation of Liability Act of 1851, a piece of legislation that enables ship owners to limit their liability for certain claims to the value of the vessel and its cargo at the end of its journey.
The law notably protected the makers of the “Titanic”. After the ship sank in 1912, its owner, White Star Line, was served with hundreds of lawsuits totalling $16m in damages. Citing the 1851 law, the case ultimately made its way to the US Supreme Court. In the end, negotiations outside of court resulted in a settlement of $664,000 in July 1916.
To get the funds, claimants had to end their claims in the US and England, where the ship set sail, and acknowledge that the owner “had no privity or knowledge of any negligence”, according to documents from the Library of Congress.
Experts say the Monday filing in the Baltimore case was not surprising. “This is exactly what I was expecting would occur,” Martin Davies, an admiralty law professor at Tulane University, said.
Michelle Del Rey has the full story…
Could ‘Titanic law’ protect owner of ship in Baltimore bridge crash?
ICYMI: How did the collision happen?
01:00 , Kelly Rissman
At around 1.30am ET local time, the Singapore-flagged vessel Dali struck a column on the Francis Scott Key Bridge, leading multiple parts of the 1.6-mile-long bridge to tumble into the water.
Just moments before the collision, the ship’s crew issued a mayday call. Maryland Gov Wes Moore added that the call “undoubtedly saved lives,” giving time for authorities to stop cars from continuing on the bridge.
The crew warned the Maryland Department of Transportation that a collision with the bridge “was possible,” the report said. “The vessel struck the bridge causing a complete collapse.”
It’s still unclear what caused the accident. But the ship was just 30 minutes into its 27-day journey to Sri Lanka.
Marcel Muise, the chief investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), said data from the shipping container’s voyage data recorder, sometimes referred to as a “black box”, was still being analysed.
Mr Muise said that around 1.27am on Tuesday, one of the two pilots of the Dali had made radio contact regarding a “blackout” and ordered for the port anchor to be dropped as well as issuing additional steering commands.
Several seconds later the pilot issued another radio call over the radio reporting that the Dali had “lost all power and was approaching the bridge,” Mr Muise said.
Transportation authorities say the water under the bridge is around 50 feet deep.
There was no indication that the crash was intentional, officials said.
Kevin Cartwright, director of communications for the Baltimore Fire Department, told The Associated Press that it appeared there were “some cargo or retainers hanging from the bridge”, creating unsafe and unstable conditions, and that emergency responders had to operate cautiously.
Jennifer Homendy, chair of the NTSB, said that over 750 tonnes of hazardous materials had been onboard the Dali container ship when the crash occurred.
An NTSB hazmat investigator was able to identify 56 containers of hazardous materials, a total of 764 tonnes of hazardous materials, Ms Homendy told a press conference on 27 March. The materials were “mostly corrosives, flammables, and some miscellaneous hazardous materials”, she added.
Some of the hazmat containers were breached, though state authorities have been made aware.
Dali crew worried ‘what world thinks’ of them after tragic collision with bridge
Wednesday 3 April 2024 00:00 , Kelly Rissman
The crew members stranded for a week on board a cargo vessel that collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore were worried what the world thought of them, an official said.
The Singapore-flagged ship Dali, en route to the south Asian country, has been stuck with 4,000 containers and its mostly Indian crew since last Tuesday after the vessel lost power and collided with a support column of the bridge, leading to its collapse.
The 20 Indian and one Sri Lankan sailors were in good health, including a member who suffered minor injuries, according to officials.
The “rattled” sailors had adequate food on board but were keeping quiet about their situation amid an ongoing investigation, said Joshua Messick, the executive director of the non-profit Baltimore International Seafarers’ Center.
“They’re not saying much at all to anyone who has been in touch with them,” Mr Messick told the BBC.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar has the full story…
Baltimore ship crew worried ‘what world thinks’ days after Key Bridge collapse
Watch: Baltimore mayor Brandon Scott responds to racist remarks
Tuesday 2 April 2024 23:00 , Michelle Del Rey
Second temporary channel opened
Tuesday 2 April 2024 22:30 , Kelly Rissman
A second temporary channel was opened on Tuesday, just one week after the bridge’s catastrophic collapse, allowing commercial traffic to move through.
“I’m thankful that after only a week after the collapse, we have pathways and channels,” Gov Wes Moore said at a press conference.
Despite the victory, Mr Moore warned, “We are still a long way from being able to get the size and the cadence of the commercial traffic back to where it was before the collapse.”
Biden to visit Baltimore as bridge clean up continues
Tuesday 2 April 2024 22:00 , Michelle Del Rey
Local leaders acknowledge ‘long road’ ahead
Tuesday 2 April 2024 21:45 , Kelly Rissman
Today marked one week since the fatal collapse of Baltimore’s Key Bridge, which took six construction workers’ lives.
Speaking at a Tuesday press conference, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott called the incident an “unpseakable tragedy.”
He added, “the road ahead is long and difficult” but we will “utilize every tool” to support the community and businesses.
Leaders also underscored that the bad weather has made the mission to clear the wreckage even more difficult.
US Army Corps of Engineers Col Estee Pinchasin shed light on some of the salvage efforts.
The state of the wreckage has made it difficult to know “where to cut, how to cut” into the tresses submerged in the water. She added, the workers are operating in an “extremely unforgiving” area, but they are developing a plan.
“The compelxity is even more complex than we thought,” Gov Moore said, adding “there are still a lot of unknowns.”
Sen Ben Cardin praised Mitch McConnell’s ‘positive comments’
Tuesday 2 April 2024 21:30 , Kelly Rissman
Maryland Sen Ben Cardin thanked his colleague Sen Mitch McConnell for his “positive comments” that he made earlier in the day.
Mr McConnell said in a radio interview, “In situations like that, whether it’s a hurricane in Florida or an accident like this, the federal government will step up and do the lion’s share of it.”
His comments come after Republicans have criticised the call from Maryland leaders — and President Biden— to use federal funds to pay for the cost of rebuilding the bridge.
In case you missed it, John Bowden has the full story about GOP’s opposition to the use of federal funds for the bridge’s reconstruction:
Baltimore’s mayor calls for bipartisan Key Bridge repair as he faces GOP opposition
Inclement weather has made clearing the wreckage difficult
Tuesday 2 April 2024 21:10 , Kelly Rissman
Gov Wes Moore said at a Tuesday press conference that “current conditions make it unsafe for rescue divers to return to the water.”
But, he added, “We have to move fast. But we cannot be careless… We have already lost six Marylanders we will not lose any more.”
WATCH: White House vows to ‘get to the bottom’ of Baltimore Bridge collapse
Tuesday 2 April 2024 21:00 , Kelly Rissman
Gov Wes Moore gives an update one week after bridge’s collapse
Tuesday 2 April 2024 20:46 , Kelly Rissman
On our recovery efforts, we need to do more work clearing the channel to move forward.
We have to move fast – but we cannot be careless. My directive is to complete this mission with no injuries and no casualties.
— Governor Wes Moore (@GovWesMoore) April 2, 2024
Officials launch website for all information relating to Key Bridge collapse
Tuesday 2 April 2024 20:40 , Michelle Del Rey
A new website with information, including press releases, has been launched to provide the public with information related to the incident.
It’s available here.
Who is Marciel Muise? The man leading the National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation
Tuesday 2 April 2024 20:21 , Michelle Del Rey
Marcel Muise is a marine casualty investigator who served in the US Coast Guard and captained oil drilling ships and rigs before joining the safety board, according to The Baltimore Banner.
Mr Muise worked for the NTSB for six years. The collapse is the largest disaster he has been tasked with overseeing since joining the agency.
First vessel passes through new temporary channel
Tuesday 2 April 2024 19:45 , Michelle Del Rey
From the U.S. Coast Guard:
“…the Tugboat Crystal Coast, pushing a fuel barge, was the first vessel to transit the newly created temporary alternate channel in Baltimore following the Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapse.”
It’s on its way to Dover AFB with jet fuel. @wjz pic.twitter.com/E5r3cqbD9l
— Mike Hellgren (@HellgrenWJZ) April 2, 2024
Brother of one of the deceased men calls him ‘a generous man’
Tuesday 2 April 2024 19:09 , Michelle Del Rey
Martin Suazo Sandoval told NPR that his brother, Maynor Suazo Sandoval, was driven to help his family and his community in Honduras. “My brother was a generous man,” he said.
He also sent money home to his family to start a hotel that helped provide jobs for his family.
US congressman speaks out against Republicans opposed to funding bridge construction
Tuesday 2 April 2024 18:44 , Michelle Del Rey
James E Clyburn, a Democratic congressman from South Carolina, spoke out against some members of US Congress opposed to funding rebuilding efforts for the Baltimore Francis Scott Key Bridge in an interview with NBC News on Tuesday.
“The fact of the matter is, all of us, every state in the nation, all 50 of us, will take our turns needing this kind of assistance”.
Playing politics with the tragic bridge collapse in Baltimore is just plain cruel.
We must help Baltimore get back on its feet. Full stop. pic.twitter.com/XnWKal1PTX
— James E. Clyburn (@RepJamesClyburn) April 2, 2024
Vessels start moving out of Baltimore
Tuesday 2 April 2024 18:10 , Michelle Del Rey
Limited ship traffic resumed for the first time after recovery teams opened a temporary channel with a controlling depth of 11 feet on the northbound side of the wreckage of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
The first vessel to transit the channel was a tugboat pushing a barge supplying jet fuel to the US Department of Defence, the Coast Guard said.
A second temporary channel on the southbound side with a depth of 15 to 16 feet would open “in the coming days”, Maryland governor Wes Moore said.
A third channel with a depth of 20 to 25 feet would allow almost all tug and barge traffic in and out of the port after the debris was cleared, said Coast Guard rear admiral Shannon Gilreath.
Maryland lawmakers hold hearing on emergency legislation for port workers
Tuesday 2 April 2024 17:49 , Michelle Del Rey
Later today, I will testify in support of the Maryland PORT Act to:
1. Support workers not covered by unemployment insurance;
2. Ensure businesses can fully retain and pay their workforce; and
3. Incentivize companies to return to the Port after it fully reopens. pic.twitter.com/xyK4LyGYvl— Bill Ferguson (@SenBillFerg) April 2, 2024
Rebuilding process for Francis Scott Key Bridge likely to take several years
Tuesday 2 April 2024 17:30 , Michelle Del Rey
The New York Times is reporting that rebuilding the Francis Scott Key Bridge is taking several years. The bridge took five years to construct before it opened in 1977.
Collapse could fuel reinsurance pricing
Tuesday 2 April 2024 17:10 , Michelle Del Rey
According to the Wall Street Journal, the cost of rebuilding the Francis Scott Key Bridge will largely fall on reinsurers.
If the losses from the incident end up at the higher end of estimates, which are currently $2bn to $4bn, then insurers may add reserves to social inflation which could cause them to seek higher prices, the outlet reported.
Last year, natural catastrophe losses were capped at $108bn, above the 10-year average of $89bn.
Non profit to hold news conference Tuesday to call for work permits for long-term undocumented immigrants
Tuesday 2 April 2024 16:50 , Michelle Del Rey
CASA, an organisation that works with immigrants, is holding a news conference on Tuesday to call for better working conditions for undocumented immigrants.
The organisation said it has drafted a letter to President Joe Biden’s administration which it plans to reveal during the event. Two out of the six men that died belonged to the organisation.
Sailors reflect on memories of Francis Scott Key Bridge
Tuesday 2 April 2024 16:30 , Michelle Del Rey
Speaking to The Baltimore Banner, sailors shared their memories of the bridge.
“The bridge was a sign of freedom for me, because when I got there, I knew I could go anywhere,” LeMart Presley, a US Coast Guard licensed 100-ton master captain, told the outlet. “When you see those big cargo ships coming in, and you see where they are from, you think, ‘I can go there, too’”.
See it: US Navy releases images of bridge resting at the bottom of the river
Tuesday 2 April 2024 15:47 , Michelle Del Rey
On Tuesday morning, the US Navy released images of the bridge resting at the bottom of the Patapsco River using sonar technology. Officials used an imaging tool called CODA Octopus to obtain the photos. The tool is being used by divers working on the scene.
Visibility is limited to one to two feet because of the amount of mud and loose bottom along the harbour, the US Army said on X.
“Divers are working in virtual darkness because when lit their view is similar to driving through a heavy snowfall at night with high-beam headlights on”. Complicating matters, divers need to be guided by detailed verbal directions from operators in nearby vessels.
📷 JUST RELEASED: This imagery, supplied by the @USNavy Naval Sea System Command (NAVSEA)
Supervisor of Salvage and Diving (SUPSALV), shows the wreckage resting at the bottom of the river where the Francis Scott Key Bridge once stood. #FSKBridge 1/3 pic.twitter.com/SJVI39bK3c— USACE Baltimore (@USACEBaltimore) April 2, 2024
The “Dali” ship continues to remain in danger, officials said
Tuesday 2 April 2024 15:27 , Michelle Del Rey
A natural gas line along the harbour floor further complicates relief efforts, officials told USA Today. Army personnel are working to prevent the ship from shifting in a current. Heavy lift cranes are being brought in to help lift parts of the bridge currently resting on the ship.
Dali ship owners deny all responsibility for deadly Baltimore bridge collapse and call for $43.6m payout cap
Tuesday 2 April 2024 14:41 , Rachel Sharp
The owners of the Dali container ship involved in the deadly collapse of a Baltimore bridge last week, after it crashed into the structure, have denied responsibility and are seeking to limit their legal liability.
Grace Ocean Private Limited, the ship’s owner, and the manager Synergy Marine Pte said in a federal court filing on Monday that they denied any fault or neglect of the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge that claimed the lives of six construction workers.
The companies are asking for exoneration from liability, but if they are held responsible in lawsuits, the companies are asking for a cap on any payout.
The joint filing, submitted in a Maryland District Court, seeks to cap the companies’ liability at roughly $43.6m.
Read the full story here:
Dali ship owners deny all responsibility for deadly Baltimore bridge collapse
In photos: the scene of the collapse
Tuesday 2 April 2024 14:00 , Michelle Del Rey
Watch: Buttigieg calls all of the conspiracy theories around the bridge’s collapse ‘upsetting’
Tuesday 2 April 2024 13:00 , Michelle Del Rey
Dali crew remain stuck on board ship one week on from disaster
Tuesday 2 April 2024 12:20 , Rachel Sharp
The Dali crew members continue to be stuck on board the damaged ship one week on from the deadly disaster.
The 20 Indian and one Sri Lankan sailors are in good health, including a member who suffered minor injuries, according to officials.
The “rattled” sailors had adequate food on board but were keeping quiet about their situation amid an ongoing investigation, said Joshua Messick, the executive director of the non-profit Baltimore International Seafarers’ Center.
The sailors would likely stay on board until the ongoing investigation was completed.
“The crew members were busy with their normal duties on the ship and assisting the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Coast Guard investigators,” a spokesperson for Grace Ocean Pte Ltd, the owner of the vessel, told news agency PTI.
“At this time, we do not know how long the investigation process will take and until that process is complete, the crew will remain on board.”
Biden told teams to ‘move heaven and earth’ to aid bridge collapse emergency response
Tuesday 2 April 2024 12:00 , Michelle Del Rey
President Joe Biden intructed federal authorities to “move heaven and earth” to help with emergency responses to the collapse of the Francis Scott Key bridge on Tuesday.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the president had directed a “whole-of-government response” and wanted work to begin on rebuilding the bridge “as soon as humanly possible”.
“After he was briefed on the collapse, President Biden immediately instructed his team to move heaven and earth to aid in the emergency response and help build — rebuild the bridge as soon as humanly possible,” Ms Jean-Pierre told reporters at a press conference.
“Within hours of the bridge’s collapse, President Biden spoke to Governor Moore, Senator Cardin, Senator Van Hollen, Congressman Mfume, as well as Baltimore’s mayor and county executive. The President’s message to them was clear: We will be with the people of Baltimore every step of the way.”
She added that Mr Biden remains in close contact with US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. The president is due to visit Baltimore this coming week, though details are still unconfirmed.
IN PICTURES: Dali ship sits among the wreckage of the bridge
Tuesday 2 April 2024 11:37 , Rachel Sharp
Could ‘Titanic law’ protect owner of ship in Baltimore bridge crash from compensation claims?
Tuesday 2 April 2024 11:20 , Rachel Sharp
The owner of the ship that collided with the Baltimore Francis Scott Key Bridge has filed a petition in federal court to restrict its amount of liability in the tragedy which resulted in the deaths of six people.
Grace Ocean Private Limited, the owner of the Dali ship, and Synergy Marine Group, the ship’s manager, submitted the filing under the Limitation of Liability Act of 1851, a piece of legislation that enables ship owners to limit their liability for certain claims to the value of the vessel and its cargo at the end of its journey.
The law notably protected the makers of the “Titanic”. After the ship sank in 1912, its owner, White Star Line, was served with hundreds of lawsuits totalling $16m in damages. Citing the 1851 law, the case ultimately made its way to the US Supreme Court. In the end, negotiations outside of court resulted in a settlement of $664,000 in July 1916.
The Independent’s Michelle Del Rey explains:
Could ‘Titanic law’ protect owner of ship in Baltimore bridge crash?
Watch: Baltimore’s Key Bridge featured in The Wire
Tuesday 2 April 2024 11:00 , Michelle Del Rey
Baltimore ship crew worried about ‘world’s perception’ days after Key Bridge collapse
Tuesday 2 April 2024 10:40 , Rachel Sharp
The crew members stranded for a week on board a cargo vessel that collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore were worried what the world thought of them, an official said.
The Singapore-flagged ship Dali, en route to the south Asian country, has been stuck with 4,000 containers and its mostly Indian crew since last Tuesday after the vessel lost power and collided with a support column of the bridge, leading to its collapse.
The 20 Indian and one Sri Lankan sailors were in good health, including a member who suffered minor injuries, according to officials.
The “rattled” sailors had adequate food on board but were keeping quiet about their situation amid an ongoing investigation, said Joshua Messick, the executive director of the non-profit Baltimore International Seafarers’ Center.
Read the full story:
Baltimore ship crew worried about ‘world’s perception’ days after Key Bridge collapse
First stage of removing debris by crane ‘remarkably important moment’
Tuesday 2 April 2024 10:20 , Michelle Del Rey
Maryland Governor Wes Moore said that the first debris lift, which took place on Saturday, was a “remarkably important moment”.
Mr Moore told reporters at a press conference ahead of the operations that the piece of bridge scheduled to be removed by crane was not one on top of the Dali container ship.
“We still do not yet have a timeline as to when we can actually begin lifting pieces off of the Dali, but we know that today is a remarkably important moment, but one that still is going to take further evaluation as to what type of impact that’s going to have on the remainder of the mission,” he said.
Coast Guard Rear Admiral Shannon Gilreath added: “The piece of the northern part of the bridge is going to be lifted today, I believe has been cut… I can’t tell you where they are in the stage of the actual lifting but is scheduled to be lifted today.”
Mr Gilreath said he was unsure of the exact dimensions of the piece, but that it was part of the “top section” of the bridge.
“It’s gonna take the day to do it. I mean, they had to do the engineering process to plan how we could make those cuts,” he said. “They’re making those cuts, then they’re going to have to put straps to rig it, and then they will rig it and they will set it on a barge so it can be brought back here.”
Dali ship owners deny responsibility for deadly bridge crash
Tuesday 2 April 2024 10:02 , Rachel Sharp
The owners of the Dali ship have denied all responsibility for the deadly crash into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore and are seeking a cap of $43.7m for any lawsuit payouts.
In a federal court filing on Monday, the ship’s owner Grace Ocean Private Limited and operator Synergy Marine PTE denied any fault or neglect over the collapse that claimed the lives of six construction workers.
“The [bridge collapse] was not due to any fault, neglect, or want of care on the part of [ship owner & operator], the Vessel, or any persons or entities for whose acts [ship owner & operator] may be responsible,” the filing reads.
“Alternatively, if any such faults caused or contributed to the [bridge collapse], or to any loss or damage arising out of the [bridge collapse], which is denied, such faults were occasioned and occurred without [ship owner & operator] privity or knowledge.”
If they are held responsible in lawsuits, the companies are asking for the cap on the payouts – which they claim would cover the value of the ship after losses and damages.
Could ‘Titanic law’ protect owner of ship in Baltimore bridge crash?
Tuesday 2 April 2024 09:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
The owner of the ship that collided with the Baltimore Francis Scott Key Bridge has filed a petition in federal court to restrict its amount of liability in the tragedy which resulted in the deaths of six people.
Grace Ocean Private Limited, the owner of the Dali ship, and Synergy Marine Group, the ship’s manager, submitted the filing under the Limitation of Liability Act of 1851, a piece of legislation that enables ship owners to limit their liability for certain claims to the value of the vessel and its cargo at the end of its journey.
The law notably protected the makers of the “Titanic”.
After the ship sank in 1912, its owner, White Star Line, was served with hundreds of lawsuits totalling $16m in damages. Citing the 1851 law, the case ultimately made its way to the US Supreme Court. In the end, negotiations outside of court resulted in a settlement of $664,000 in July 1916.
Michelle Del Rey reports.
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