NTSB recommends post-Baltimore Bridge Risk Assessment
The NTSB said Baltimore officials who oversee the Francis Scott Key Bridge do not understand the vulnerability to a bridge crash.
Baltimore officials confirmed a ship’s explosion on the Patapsco River on Monday, August 18, near where the former Key Bridge Site once stood before last year’s fatal collapse.
The explosion occurred on a 751-foot commercial vessel around 6:30pm local time, the Baltimore Fire Department said on Facebook. The fire department said a total of 23 people were on board and no injuries were reported.
The bulk carrier had compensation for the explosion and fire, but officials confirmed it was floating. The Tugs Boats move the ship to a designated Anchorage area, where they await clearance from the US Coast Guard.
The fire department did not provide any information regarding the cause of the explosion.
USA Today has contacted the Coast Guard for additional information.
The collapse of the Baltimore Bridge killed six people
Since midnight on March 26, 2024, a 984-foot long cargo ship known as the Dali plunged into the Key Bridge, causing the building to collapse into the Patapsco River, killing six construction workers.
The clash occurred after Dali lost power while he was departing Baltimore’s port.
The agency denounced Maryland for failing to conduct risk assessments for bridges that would have shown its vulnerability to such strikes.
More than a year after the strike, commuters are subject to daily traffic delays along the interstate east and west, and businesses are dealing with sustained declines in revenue.
Contributor: Christopher Kang, USA Today
