Dali cargo ship crashed while leaving port in Antwerp in 2016 suffering serious damage before Baltimore bridge collision
THE cargo ship that caused the deadly Baltimore bridge collapse was involved in another crash in Europe years prior.
In 2016, Dali was involved in an accident at the port of Antwerp, Belgium after the ship hit a quay, port authorities said.
Those on the scene revealed that, at the time, the ship was trying to exit the North Sea Container Terminal.
After the accident, an inspection found that the ship had a structural issue.
The report stated it had “hull damage impairing its seaworthiness,” according to data published on Equasis, a public database for the shipping industry.
As a result of the incident, port authorities said the ship had to remain at the dock for a prolonged period to undergo repairs.
“As a general rule, these accidents are investigated and ships are only allowed to leave after experts have determined it is safe for them to do so,” a spokesperson for Antwerp port told Reuters.
On Tuesday, the Dali gained national attention after it faced its second collision, but this time in Baltimore.
The ship hit a pillar on the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing the bridge to collapse.
Six workers plunged into the water after the ship collided with the bridge and they are now presumed dead.
The US Coast Guard searched for the workers all day but called off the rescue mission on Tuesday night.
The Coast Guard plans to have divers return to the site at 6 am on Wednesday to look for the workers’ bodies.
The cargo ship is owned by Grace Ocean Pte Ltd and managed by Synergy Marine Corp.
At the time of the crash, it was chartered by shipping company Maersk, which released a statement on the tragedy.
“We are horrified by what has happened in Baltimore, and our thoughts are with all of those affected,” a Maersk spokesperson said.
Dali was supposed to leave Baltimore on Tuesday and arrive in Colombo on April 22, according to Maersk’s website.
“We are closely following the investigations conducted by authorities and Synergy, and we will do our utmost to keep our customers informed,” Maersk said.
SHOCKING VIDEO
After the devastating crash, the National Transportation Safety Board shared aerial footage of the wreckage.
“March 26, 2024: NTSB B-Roll of the March 26 Francis Scott Key Bridge that was struck by Cargo Ship Dali in Baltimore, Maryland,” read the text in the seven-minute video posted to YouTube.
The video showed pieces of the bridge sticking out of the water.
Around two minutes into the video, the camera pans to the point of impact.
The ship is still sitting on the water with debris and metal scattered on top of and around it.
Another video of the collapse showed cars plunging into the Patapsco River.
‘UNTHINKABLE TRAGEDY’
After the crash, officials declared a Level 1 mass casualty event and sent dive teams to search for the missing people.
Baltimore City Fire Department Chief James Wallace said that two people were rescued from the water.
While one is currently in serious condition, the other refused treatment, according to the Fire Department Chief.
Mayor Brandon Scott described the scene as “unthinkable.”
“Never would you think that you would see, physically see, the Key Bridge tumble down like that,” he said.
“It looked like something out of an action movie.”
While authorities have declared a state of emergency, they clarified that they do not suspect terrorism to be the cause of the collision.
“There is absolutely no indication that there’s any terrorism, that this was done on purpose,” said Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley.