'Engulfed in smoke': Cargo ship burst in flames near Baltimore's Key bridge; eyewitness recall loud sound heard before fire
The blast took place at around 6.30 pm local time on the commercial vessel, identified as the W-Sapphire, a 751-foot bulk carrier, reported CBS News.
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The fire department noted in a Facebook post that the vessel remained afloat after the incident, with 23 people on board and no injuries were reported.
Eyewitness Jay Steinmetz, sailing in the Patapsco River with his son Sam, told CBS News they heard a loud sound before being engulfed by a plume of smoke.
According to Baltimore's fire department, the fire was contained and the ship was being removed from the channel with the help of tugboats.
Firefighters responded to the scene by both land and water, including with fireboats. Upon arrival, fireboat crews located the W-Sapphire, which showed visible signs of fire and explosion damage.
The incident occurred close to the former site of the Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge, which collapsed on March 26, 2024 in a horrifying accident. A 984-foot-long cargo ship Dali rammed into a supporting column. Six construction workers, who had been repairing potholes at the time, died when the structure crumbled.
Baltimore's Francis Scott Key bridge collapsed, March 26, 2024 (File photo)
The collapse triggered months-long closures at Baltimore's port and caused severe traffic congestion that continue to affect the region.
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Advt Advt Join the community of 2M+ industry professionals. Subscribe to Newsletter to get latest insights & analysis in your inbox. Get updates on your preferred social platform Follow us for the latest news, insider access to events and more. 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 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 Port of Baltimore 's main shipping channel was closed for several hours Tuesday while crews worked to locate a hatch from the ship that detached during the explosion and fell into the water, officials said. They announced late Tuesday afternoon that the channel had 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 were 23 crewmembers and two pilots aboard at the time of the explosion, according to Coast Guard 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 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 Gov. Wes Moore said his office was closely monitoring the Coast Guard established a 2,000-yard (1,829-meter) safety zone around the site of the explosion while crews searched for the missing hatch. They used a sonar-equipped survey vessel called Buck to assess the underwater 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.
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
'Engulfed in smoke': Cargo ship burst in flames near Baltimore's Key bridge; eyewitness recall loud sound heard before fire
An explosion occurred on board a cargo ship hauling coal in Baltimore's harbor near the site of the Francis Scott Key Bridge on Monday carrying 23 crewmembers and two pilots. The blast took place at around 6.30 pm local time on the commercial vessel, identified as the W-Sapphire, a 751-foot bulk carrier, reported CBS News. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The fire department noted in a Facebook post that the vessel remained afloat after the incident, with 23 people on board and no injuries were reported. Eyewitness Jay Steinmetz, sailing in the Patapsco River with his son Sam, told CBS News they heard a loud sound before being engulfed by a plume of smoke. According to Baltimore's fire department, the fire was contained and the ship was being removed from the channel with the help of tugboats. Firefighters responded to the scene by both land and water, including with fireboats. Upon arrival, fireboat crews located the W-Sapphire, which showed visible signs of fire and explosion damage. The incident occurred close to the former site of the Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge, which collapsed on March 26, 2024 in a horrifying accident. A 984-foot-long cargo ship Dali rammed into a supporting column. Six construction workers, who had been repairing potholes at the time, died when the structure crumbled. Baltimore's Francis Scott Key bridge collapsed, March 26, 2024 (File photo) The collapse triggered months-long closures at Baltimore's port and caused severe traffic congestion that continue to affect the region.
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