Major rescue operations are taking place on Tuesday in the port of the American city of Baltimore, to try to find survivors after the spectacular collapse of a large highway bridge hit by a container ship.
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Here is what we know about the disaster:
What happened?
At about 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, a 300-meter-long, Singapore-flagged container ship named Dali, bound for Sri Lanka, slammed into a pier of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge.
In the space of a few seconds, almost the entire bridge collapsed into the water, approximately 15 meters below, dragging vehicles and people with it.
Shortly before the impact, the ship had appealed for help to the authorities, saying it had a technical problem, which made it possible to cut off part of the road traffic and save lives, according to the local governor.
Boats, helicopters, divers and sonar were deployed to try to find survivors.
How many victims?
Getty Images via AFP
Rescuers are searching the water and the seabed for at least six members of a team of eight workers who were working on the bridge at the time of the accident, according to the latest report.
Two people have already been taken out of the water by emergency services. One person was taken to hospital in serious condition while a second was released unhurt.
It was unclear whether people might have been trapped in cars that fell during the collapse at the bridge.
At the time of the incident, we saw lights which appeared to be those of vehicles on the roadway of the infrastructure, before the structure deformed and fell in pieces.
- Listen to summaries of the latest events with journalist Alexandre Moranville via
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Baltimore Fire Chief James Wallace said sonar spotted vehicles in the water, but he could not provide further details.
Maryland State Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld said authorities “did not believe” people could be trapped in cars.
No members of the Dali’s crew were injured, according to Synergy Marine Group, the shipping company operating the container ship.
What is the cause of the disaster?
AFP
When calling for help shortly before the tragedy, the crew of the Singapore-flagged container ship explained that they were faced with a breakdown in the ship’s propulsion system.
“As a result, it was unable to maintain course in the desired direction and collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge,” the Singapore Port Authority said on Tuesday.
CCTV footage shows the container ship’s lights go out twice in the minutes before the tragedy, as well as smoke around the ship.
The Dali had dropped anchors before the accident, in accordance with emergency procedures, according to Singaporean authorities, this maneuver aimed at slowing down the ship.
US authorities have repeatedly stated that there was “no indication” of a terrorist act.
Experts have already expressed doubts about the strength of the bridge, several arches of which have been destroyed along a large length.
Even if the container ship has a powerful force of inertia, especially with its cargo, “the extent of the damage to the superstructure of the bridge seems disproportionate to the cause”, commented Professor Toby Mottram, a structural expert from the British University of Warwick.
And now?
AFP
Maritime traffic is “suspended until further notice” in Baltimore, authorities said. The port is one of the largest shipping ports in the United States.
Priority is given to rescue operations and searches for victims, on the surface and at the bottom of the water.
Emergency services are also monitoring the possibility of an oil leak.
Finally, the authorities are already preparing for the significant economic consequences of cutting the bridge, a crucial highway axis on the Atlantic coast of the United States, a country where truck transport plays an essential role.