Drone Footage Shows Collapsed US Bridge, Ship That Collided With It

A newly released drone footage offers a bird-eye view into the aftermath of the bridge collapse in the US city of Baltimore yesterday. The aerial view shows the bridge in ruins, with sizable debris strewn across the water and sections of the structure crumbling from various angles.

Amidst the wreckage, the cargo ship, laden with cargo, is seen wedged midway along the bridge. It also has a zoomed-out view that shows the full extent of the damage to the bridge.

According to reports, the 1.6-mile bridge, which carries the Baltimore Beltway/Interstate 695 over the Patapsco River, collapsed around 1:30 a.m.

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The vessel, named Dali, was a Singapore-flagged container ship that was heading towards Sri Lanka from Baltimore when it hit a concrete pier supporting the bridge, leading to the collapse, sending cars and people plunging into the river below. The ship had issued a Mayday call moments before the crash, citing a power loss. The cause of the power outage remains unclear.

Singapore's Maritime and Port Authority said that the Dali had dropped its anchors before the crash as part of emergency procedures. Fortunately, authorities managed to stop traffic to the bridge before the collision, in a bid to avert casualties.

Two people were rescued, with one escaping unharmed while the other was seriously injured. The crew of the cargo ship reported no injuries. Six workers who have been missing after the collapse are now presumed dead and officials have suspended search operations till the next day.

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Coast Guard Rear Admiral Shannon Gilreath said, “Based on the length of time that we have gone in this search, the extensive search efforts that we have put into it, the water temperature, at this point we do not believe that we're going to find any of these individuals still alive.”

Some experts suggest that the bridge's main support structures may not have been adequately protected against such a collision by a large vessel.

Toby Mottram, a structural engineering professor at the University of Warwick, said, “The significant momentum of this massive cargo vessel, especially when laden with cargo, would have been considerable upon impact. It's evident that the pier couldn't withstand the impact energy. The extent of the damage to the bridge superstructure appears disproportionate to the cause.”