Explosion reported on bulk carrier near Key Bridge collapse site
Aug. 18 (UPI) -- An explosion occurred Monday evening aboard a 751-foot bulk carrier in Baltimore's Patapsco River, near where the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed in March 2024.
The explosion was reported to the Baltimore City Fire Department at around 6:30 p.m. EDT, the fire department said in a statement. Officials have identified the craft as the W. Sapphire, which, according to marine traffic website MarineTraffic.com, is a Liberia-flagged Class A bulk carrier that was to depart Baltimore, Md., shortly before 6 p.m. Its destination was Port Louis in the East African nation of Mauritius.
Unverified video of the incident published online shows an explosion on the vessel ejected a large fireball into the air. Once the smoke cleared, a fire on deck could be seen.
The Baltimore fire department said the vessel sustained damage "consistent with a fire and explosion." It remained afloat and was being assisted by tugboats.
All 23 people onboard the vessel when the explosion occurred have been accounted for and were uninjured, officials said.
"Fireboats remain on scene as the Coast Guard and other agencies begin their investigation," the Baltimore City Fire Department said. "The vessel will be moved to a designated anchorage area and held there until cleared by the Coast Guard."
UPI has contacted the U.S. Coast Guard for comment.
The Maryland Department of Emergency Management said in a statement online that it is "aware of the cargo ship fire" and is "monitoring."
"At this time, there are no reports of injuries or property damaged beyond the ship," it said.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore similarly said his office is closely monitoring the situation.
"State agencies are responding to the situation near Baltimore Harbor," he said in a statement. "My office is in touch with local and federal authorities."
The incident occurred not far from where about 510 days ago the Francis Scott Key Bridge across the Patapsco River collapsed after a commercial vessel, the MV Dali, crashed into it.
The Port of Baltimore is crucial to the economy of not only Baltimore and Maryland, but also the United States, with 45.9 million tons of international cargo with a value of $62.2 billion transiting through it in 2024, the second highest on record.
The collapse blocked the port, resulting in its 11-week closure.
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