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Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Yahoo
No injuries reported after cargo ship explodes near Baltimore; channel reopened Tuesday
The damaged W-Sapphire is still afloat after a fiery explosion Monday and has been moved to just north of the Bay Bridge, where it is anchored while investigations continue. (Coast Guard screengrab) By Ciara Wells The Patapsco River channel into the Port of Baltimore was reopened Tuesday afternoon after a fiery explosion on a cargo ship Monday night closed the channel for the better part of a day while the Coast Guard investigated. The incident began about 6:30 p.m. Monday when the bow of the coal-carrying cargo ship W-Sapphire erupted in a fireball as it was leaving the port, not far from the remaining wreckage of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which collapsed last year. Livestream video footage shows the explosion, followed by black smoke billowing from the ship as it slowly continues its path on the Patapsco River. The U.S. Coast Guard confirmed to WTOP that there were 23 people and two pilots on board the coal-bearing ship. The Maryland Department of Emergency Management reported on X and the Baltimore City Fire Department reported in a post on Facebook that no injuries to the crew had been reported, and there was no damage found beyond the W-Sapphire, a 751-foot bulk carrier from Liberia. 'Fireboats remain on scene as the Coast Guard and other agencies begin their investigation. The vessel will be moved to a designated anchorage area and held there until cleared by the Coast Guard,' the fire department wrote Monday night. Key Bridge deconstruction continues as officials eye initial effort for a new span By Tuesday, the W-Sapphire had been moved and anchored near the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, where the Coast Guard established a safety zone for 500 yards around the vessel. The explosion blew a hatch off the front of the W-Sapphire and into the river, posing a potential threat to navigation that led the Coast Guard to close the channel for 2,000 yards around the possible resting place of the hatch. By Tuesday evening, that safety zone had been lifted, but the Coast Guard imposed draft restrictions on ships passing through the area and said a 500-yard safety zone could be imposed when recovery of the hatch began. The explosion occurred not far from the remains of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which collapsed in the early morning hours on March 26, 2024, when the container ship Dali lost power and careened into the bridge, causing most of it to collapse into the river below. Six construction workers were killed in the collapse. The destruction and extensive recovery efforts raised concerns about the implications to international shipping and commerce — the Port of Baltimore is the ninth-busiest port in the nation. But the channel was cleared and reopened within weeks. Crews are now involved in removing remaining parts of the Key Bridge in preparation for a higher, longer replacement span, which is expected to be completed in 2028. – As part of Maryland Matters' content sharing agreement with WTOP, we feature this article from Ciara Wells. Click here for the WTOP News website. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Solve the daily Crossword
Los Angeles Times
18 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
Explosion on cargo ship closes Baltimore shipping channel near site of 2024 bridge collapse
BALTIMORE — Investigators on Tuesday were trying to determine what caused an explosion aboard a cargo ship laden with coal as it departed Baltimore's harbor for East Africa. Officials said no one was injured in the blast Monday evening, which prompted a mayday call when it was reported near the site of last year's Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse. Video of the explosion showed flames shooting high into the air, followed by a large plume of dark smoke billowing over the Patapsco River. The Port of Baltimore's main shipping channel was closed Tuesday while crews worked to locate a hatch from the ship that detached during the explosion and fell into the water, officials said. 'The U.S. Coast Guard is the lead agency in the response and will determine when the channel can safely reopen, as well as the timing of vessel arrivals and departures,' port officials said in a news release. The 751-foot merchant vessel W-Sapphire was en route from Baltimore to East Africa, according to marine tracking websites. It was expected to arrive in the Port of Mauritius in about a month. Built in 2012, the ship is currently sailing under a Liberian flag. Officials said it was transporting coal. There were 23 crewmembers and two pilots aboard at the time of the explosion, according to Coast Guard officials. The ship is now anchored closer to Annapolis, Maryland, near the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. 'Crews are awaiting verification to confirm safe conditions before proceeding with further Coast Guard investigations onboard the vessel,' the agency said in a news release Tuesday afternoon. Baltimore Fire Department spokesperson John Marsh said the agency responded to a fire below deck. There were no reports of property damage beyond the ship, according to the Maryland Department of Emergency Management. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said his office was closely monitoring the situation. The Coast Guard established a 2,000-yard safety zone around the site of the explosion. Officials didn't provide a timeline for when the federal shipping channel was expected to reopen. They said that will depend on when they can locate the missing hatch. For now, 'its exact location and potential impact on the navigable channel remain unknown,' according to the Coast Guard. Crews are using a sonar-equipped survey vessel called Buck to assess the underwater conditions. The channel was closed for months after the deadly bridge collapse in March 2024, which killed six members of a roadwork crew and effectively brought port operations to a standstill. The bridge was destroyed when the container ship Dali lost power and crashed into one of its supporting columns. Skene writes for the Associated Press.
a day ago
Explosion on cargo ship closes Baltimore shipping channel near bridge collapse site
BALTIMORE -- Investigators on Tuesday were trying to determine what caused an explosion aboard a cargo ship laden with coal as it departed Baltimore's harbor for East Africa. Officials said no one was injured in the blast Monday evening, which prompted a mayday call when it was reported near the site of last year's Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse. Video of the explosion showed flames shooting high into the air, followed by a large plume of dark smoke billowing over the Patapsco River. The Port of Baltimore's main shipping channel was closed Tuesday morning. 'The U.S. Coast Guard is the lead agency in the response and will determine when the channel can safely reopen, as well as the timing of vessel arrivals and departures,' port officials said in a news release. The 751-foot (229-meter) merchant vessel W-Sapphire was en route from Baltimore to East Africa, according to marine tracking websites. It was expected to arrive in the Port of Mauritius in about a month. Built in 2012, the ship is currently sailing under a Liberian flag. Officials said it was transporting coal. There were 23 crewmembers and two pilots aboard at the time of the explosion, according to Coast Guard officials. Baltimore Fire Department spokesperson John Marsh said the agency responded to a fire below deck. There were no reports of property damage beyond the ship, according to the Maryland Department of Emergency Management. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said his office was closely monitoring the situation. The Coast Guard established a 2,000-yard (1,829-meter) safety zone around the site of the explosion. 'Reports state the fire has been extinguished and plans for the vessel are being formulated,' the agency said in a statement. Officials didn't provide a timeline for when the federal shipping channel was expected to reopen. It was closed for months after the deadly bridge collapse in March 2024, which killed six members of a roadwork crew and effectively brought port operations to a standstill. The bridge was destroyed when the container ship Dali lost power and crashed into one of its supporting columns.
