Baltimore bridge collapse: How the SOS from Indian crew saved 'many lives'

It is not known yet. An investigation is underway to find out the cause behind the accident.

The Singapore-flagged 948-foot cargo vessel, The Dali, was leaving the Port of Baltimore for Sri Lanka when it lost power and sounded a mayday alarm just before smashing into a concrete pier supporting the bridge. Most part of the vessel, which is almost as big as three football grounds placed side by side, went dark just over two minutes before the ship rammed into the bridge.

The ship had a crew of 22 members with two pilots on board. All of them were Indians, the ship’s manager Synergy Marine Group said. According to reports, the ship’s lights continued to flicker before the crash.

What was the fatality?

Six repairmen, who were on the bridge, are missing and are presumed dead. Coast Guard and state police officials said the construction workers had been missing too long to hope for rescue and cited cold water temperatures, a New York Times report said.

What was Joe Biden’s response?

US President Joe Biden and the Maryland governor Wes Moore praised the Indian crew for their pressing the SOS.

"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 it was struck, which undoubtedly saved lives," Biden said.

"We're incredibly grateful for the brave rescuers who immediately rushed to the scene," he added.

Maryland Governor Wes Moore called the Indian crew “heroes” for their prompt warning before the collision, which helped in “saving many lives”.

Why did the bridge collapse?

Engineers say that the design of the bridge contributed to the collapse. The design was a metal truss-style one with a suspended deck.

Sanjay R Arwade, a professor of civil engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, told NBC News, “Bridges are and should be designed to withstand ship impacts. That’s typical of the design process. But for all structures and all engineered systems, there is a possibility that an event will occur that is beyond what the structure was designed for. And this may be one of those situations.”

Construction of the bridge started in 1972 and was completed in March 1977. The bridge spans 2.6 kilometres over the Patapsco River.

How will affect the local business?

The collapse of the bridge is likely to hit export of coal from Baltimore, which is the second-largest US terminal for the commodity. It could further disrupt the global supply chains. Biden said the terminal will be built by the federal government, showing the urgent need for rebuilding.