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Courage To Hope-Episode 82-Michael Courage To Hope-Episode 82-Michael
todayMarch 26, 2024
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A giant container ship struck a bridge in the Baltimore harbor early Tuesday morning, collapsing the structure and sending construction workers into the water.
Rescuers are searching for six people, officials said. Two people have been rescued, including one who is currently hospitalized in very serious condition, officials added.
The Singapore-flagged cargo ship, Dali, spans a length of 984 feet and a width of 157 feet, a VesselFinder listing showed. It holds 22 crew members, all of whom are based in India.
The ship departed from the Port of Baltimore at 1 a.m. on Tuesday, embarking on a 27-day journey to Colombo, Sri Lanka.
The ship “lost propulsion” as it was leaving the port and warned Maryland officials of a possible collision, according to officials.
The crew notified officials that they had lost control and traffic was stopped onto the bridge.
Synergy Group confirmed the collision in a statement to ABC News, saying the ship had been piloted by two individuals during the incident. The pilots of the ship were local, officials said at a press conference.
The waterway into and out of the port is closed and there is no other route into the port, which is the second busiest port in the Mid-Atlantic.
The collision took place at about 1:30 a.m., according to MarineTraffic, a maritime-tracking company.
Singapore-based company Grace Ocean is the listed owner of Dali. While the ship is managed by a firm called Synergy Group.
All crew members, including the two pilots, have been accounted for and there are no reports of any injuries, the company said. The collision did not result in any pollution, the firm added.
Dali had been chartered by Danish shipping firm Maersk, company listings showed. Earlier this month, the ship traveled through the Panama Canal to Newark, New Jersey, before voyaging to Norfolk, Virginia, and finally reaching the Port of Baltimore, the listings said.
“We are horrified by what has happened in Baltimore, and our thoughts are with all of those affected,” Maersk told ABC News in a statement.
“We are closely following the investigations conducted by authorities and Synergy, and we will do our utmost to keep our customers informed.” the company added, noting that no employees of Maersk were onboard.
Dali was involved in a collision in 2016 when the container ship collided with the quayside in Antwerp, Belgium, according to VesselFinder.
That incident occurred one year after the ship was built, VesselFinder data showed.
ABC News’ Emily Shapiro, Aaron Katersky, Sam Sweeney, Laura Romero and Helena Skinner contributed to this report.
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