Washington, D.C.: In the wake of the tragic Baltimore bridge collapse, US President Joe Biden expressed gratitude towards the Indian crew aboard the Singapore-flagged cargo ship Dali for promptly alerting the Maryland Department of Transportation about losing control of their vessel. Biden emphasized that this alert allowed for the closure of the bridge to traffic, ultimately preventing further casualties and “undoubtedly sav[ing] lives”.
The incident unfolded when the Singapore-flagged container ship ‘Dali’ experienced a power outage before colliding with a pillar of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Maryland transportation officials acted swiftly, halting traffic on the bridge just before its collapse.
Speaking to the media, Biden acknowledged, “Personnel on board the ship were able to alert the Maryland Department of Transportation that they had lost control of their vessel, as you all know and have reported. As a result, local authorities were able to close the bridge to traffic before the bridge was struck, which undoubtedly saved lives.”
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However, despite these efforts, six individuals working on the bridge at the time of the collapse remain missing and are feared dead. Biden expressed solidarity, stating, “Our prayers are with everyone involved in this terrible accident and all the families, especially those waiting for the news of their loved one right now. I know every minute in that circumstance feels like a lifetime. You just don’t know. It’s just terrible.”
The entire 22-member crew aboard the ‘Dali’ hailed from India. The vessel, owned by Grace Ocean Private Ltd, was en route from Baltimore to Colombo when the collision occurred.
The ‘Dali’ boasts a capacity of 10,000 Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEU) with 4,679 TEUs onboard. The collision resulted in the bridge’s catastrophic collapse into the river below, accompanied by reports of black smoke and flickering lights as the ship approached, according to the Associated Press.
In response to the incident, Biden announced the suspension of ship traffic in the Port of Baltimore until further notice.
Previous Incidents Involving Dali
Previous incidents involving the ‘Dali’ include a 2016 collision with a dock in the port of Antwerp, Belgium, as it attempted to exit the North Sea container terminal. Additionally, an inspection in 2023 in San Antonio, Chile, revealed deficiencies in “propulsion and auxiliary machinery,” as reported by public data from the Equasis website.
