All 21 crew still trapped on Baltimore cargo ship, seven weeks after bridge collapse
16 May 2024, 15:29 | Updated: 16 May 2024, 15:31
Nearly two dozen crew members on the ship that crashed into a Baltimore bridge remain stuck on board the vessel, seven weeks on from the disaster that left six dead.
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The Dali container ship lost power and crashed into one of the Francis Scott Key Bridge's support columns shortly after leaving Baltimore on March 26.
The ship remained in place until crews on Monday conducted a controlled demolition to break down the largest remaining span of the collapsed bridge and free the grounded vessel.
All the crew members - 20 men from India and one from Sri Lanka - have remained on board since the crash while the National Transportation Safety Board and the FBI conduct investigations into the collapse.
It remains unclear as to the specifics of the investigation that is keeping the workers on board, and when they will be able to return home.
Officials said they have been busy maintaining the ship and assisting investigators.
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The crew have also had their phones taken from them by FBI agents.
New phones have since been supplied to them, but their old devices contained contacts, family photos, and banking apps.
It comes seven weeks after the bridge collapse killed six construction workers and halted most maritime traffic through Baltimore's busy port.
Monday's controlled demolition will allow the Dali to be refloated and restore traffic through the port as the clean-up enters its final stages.
Once the ship is moved, maritime traffic can begin returning to normal, which has had a major impact on the local economy and jobs in the area.
Engineers used precision cuts to control how the trusses break down which allowed them to make "surgical precision" - which officials said is one of the safest and most efficient ways to remove steel under a high level of tension.
The next step is for hydraulic grabbers to lift the resulting sections of steel onto barges.
Danish shipping giant Maersk had chartered the Dali for a planned trip from Baltimore to Sri Lanka, but the ship did not get far.
Its crew sent a mayday call saying they had lost power and had no control of the steering system. Minutes later, the ship rammed into the bridge.
Officials have said the safety board investigation will focus on the ship's electrical system.
