USA:Emergency declared in Maryland after Francis Scott Bridge collapse

Following the collapse of the 'Francis Scott' Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland (USA), Maryland Governor Wes Moore declared a state of emergency on 26 March 2024. The 'Francis Scott' Bridge was constructed in 1977.

• The 'Francis Scott' Bridge in Baltimore collapsed late at night on March 25 after colliding with a large ship tie.

The ship that hit the Francis Scott Bridge:

• The ship that collided with the Francis Scott Bridge in Baltimore was a container ship, the DALI. The container ship Dali is approximately 300 meters (984 ft) long. Its width is approximately 48 meters (157 ft).

Singapore's ship was Dali:

• Marine tracking website MarineTraffic showed the Singapore-flagged ship had docked in Baltimore. From where he was leaving for Colombo, Sri Lanka. It was to reach Sri Lanka on 22 April.
• The ship was chartered by Maersk and was carrying cargo for its customers, the company told CNN.
• This ship belonged to a company named Synergy Group.

About Francis Scott Bridge:

• This bridge was opened on 23 March 1977. It is named after Francis Scott Key, the composer of America's national anthem.
• This bridge was located on the Patapsco River.
• This bridge was 8,636 feet (2,632 m) long. According to an estimate, more than 11 million vehicles used to move on this bridge annually.
• Traffic has been disrupted due to the collapse of this bridge. The bridge was a vital link to the Baltimore Beltway. This bridge was of 4 lanes.
• President Biden announced in Parliament that the government will bear the entire cost of rebuilding the Baltimore Bridge.
• Last year, about 52 million tons of international cargo passed through Baltimore Port. Its price was Rs 6.67 lakh crore. This port has provided direct employment to over 15,000 people. Due to this, about 1.39 lakh people survive in Maryland also.

Dali's 22 crew members are Indians:

• The 22 crew members present on the Dali ship were Indians. They are all safe. Maryland Governor Wes Moore said the ship's crew reported the danger in time. Because of this, traffic on the bridge was stopped and many lives were saved. US President Joe Biden also praised the Indian crew for this.

The power supply on the ship was interrupted before the collision:

• The power supply on the Singapore-flagged Dali ship was disrupted. After this it collided with the bridge. During this time, 8 construction workers present on the bridge fell into the water. Repair work was being conducted on the bridge. Of these, 2 were rescued, while 6 died.
• The water temperature in Baltimore Harbor at the time of the rescue was 9 degrees Celsius. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States, when the temperature drops below 21 degrees Celsius, the body temperature also decreases rapidly. Because of this, the danger to the lives of people drowned in water increases.