Six construction workers are presumed dead after a cargo ship rammed into the Baltimore Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing it to collapse shortly after 1 a.m. on Mar. 26.
The Key Bridge, named after poet Francis Scott Key, who wrote the U.S. National Anthem, the “Star-Spangled Banner,” was a large bridge that spanned the lower Patapsco river and outer Baltimore port/harbor. Opened in 1977, it became the second-longest bridge in the Baltimore Metropolitan area, after the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. The Key bridge carried an estimated 11.5 million vehicles annually, including trucks with hazardous materials that aren’t allowed to drive in tunnels.
On Mar. 26, shortly before 1:30 a.m, the MV Dali, a large cargo ship suffering from engine power outage, crashed into a pier of the Key Bridge, breaking it into several pieces, causing a complete structural collapse. “When I woke up, I saw on Twitter that this had happened, I was horrified,” junior Branden Estrada said.
Just minutes before the collapse, the Dali made a mayday call, informing the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) that the crew had control of the vessel, and that collision with the bridge was possible. MDOT had officers close off access to the bridge. Multiple vehicles were on the bridge at the time of the collision, but it is believed no one was inside of them. However, workers were on the bridge repairing potholes.
Three minutes after the collapse, at around 1:30 a.m, 911 was called and large rescue efforts began. The Baltimore Police Department, the U.S. Coast Guard and 50 public safety divers all jumped to action. According to official updates from the Baltimore City Mayor Brandon M. Scott, of the eight workers on the bridge at the time of the collision, two have been found alive, two bodies have been recovered and the other four workers are missing but presumed dead. “I heard that several people had been found dead, and that even more were missing, it’s so horrible,” junior Brianna Zani said.
The collapse of the Key Bridge cuts off access to the Baltimore Port, a large shipping port located shortly past the remnants of the Key Bridge. Not only is the Port needed for continuing international trade as usual, but without the port being operational, 2,000 workers are currently out of a job, with no clear timeline of when they’ll be able to return. Two alternative channels have been opened up, allowing some vessels to pass the wreckage to gain access to the port, with a third channel in the works.
Social media has played a significant role in the spreading of information about this tragedy. Posts have been made about, or referencing, the bridge collapse. While this is beneficial for informing the public, it has several downsides. Conspiracy theories have circulated, including controversial influencer Andrew Tate claiming that the ship was the target of a cyber attack, which led to the collision. Sophomore David Restrepo said that he saw content about the collapse on social media, “Yeah, there were lots of videos about it online,” Restrepo said.
