A collapsed section of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, where the container ship Daly was moored, exploded in Baltimore on Monday.
Mark Shiverbin/AP
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Mark Shiverbin/AP
A collapsed section of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, where the container ship Daly was moored, exploded in Baltimore on Monday.
Mark Shiverbin/AP
BALTIMORE — Crews detonated a series of strategically placed explosives to destroy the largest remaining span of Baltimore’s collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge on Monday, with a loud bang and a splash of water that damaged the steel trusses. Falling into the river below.
The explosive glowed orange and emitted a large amount of black smoke when it exploded. The longest truss fell from the stranded Dali container ship, sliding off the bow and kicking up a wall of water that splashed back onto the ship.
It marks an important step toward freeing the Dali, which has been trapped in the wreckage since it lost power and hit one of the bridge’s support columns shortly after leaving Baltimore on March 26.
The collapse killed six construction workers and disrupted much of the marine traffic at Baltimore’s busy port. The controlled demolition will allow the Dali to refloat and resume traffic through the port, which will provide relief to thousands of longshoremen, truckers and small business owners affected by the port closure.
Officials said the explosion went as planned. They said the next step in the dynamic cleanup process is to assess the few remaining trusses on the Dali’s bow and ensure that underwater debris does not prevent the vessel from refloating and moving.
“It’s a lot like peeling an onion,” said Lt. Gen. Scott Spellmon of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Officials expect to resurface the ship in the coming days. Three or four tugboats will then guide it to a nearby port terminal. It may stay there for a few weeks and undergo temporary repairs before being moved to a shipyard for more extensive repairs.
“This is a very important milestone for us moving forward,” Col. Estee Pinchasin, commander of the Army Corps of Engineers’ Baltimore district, said immediately after the demolition. She said crews did not expect to use any more explosives.
Baltimore Port Commander Capt. David O’Connell said the crew of the Daly remained on board during the explosion and there were no reports of injuries or problems.
Crews have not been allowed to leave the stranded vessel since the disaster. Officials said they have been busy maintaining the ship and assisting investigators. Among the crew, 20 are from India and 1 is from Sri Lanka.
A collapsed section of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, where the container ship Daly was moored, exploded in Baltimore on Monday.
Mark Shiverbin/AP
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Mark Shiverbin/AP
A collapsed section of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, where the container ship Daly was moored, exploded in Baltimore on Monday.
Mark Shiverbin/AP
Engineers spent weeks preparing to use explosives to dismantle the span, which is estimated to be 500 feet (152 meters) long and weigh 600 tons (544 metric tons). Demolition work was delayed Sunday due to thunderstorms.
“This is best practice,” Gov. Wes Moore said at a news conference Monday, noting that so far there have been no injuries during the cleanup. “The safety of this operation is our top priority.”
Firefighters were stationed in the area during the explosion to prevent any sparks from flying, officials said.
In footage released this week, authorities said engineers were using precision cuts to control how the trusses break down. They say the method allows for “surgical precision” and is one of the safest and most effective ways to remove steel under high tension. Hydraulic grabs can now lift broken steel onto barges.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the FBI are investigating the bridge collapse. Officials said the safety board’s investigation will focus on the ship’s electrical systems.
Danish shipping giant Maersk once chartered the “Daly” and planned to travel from Baltimore to Sri Lanka, but the ship did not go very far. The crew issued a distress call, indicating they had lost power and were unable to control the steering system. Minutes later, the ship hit the bridge.
State and federal officials praised rescue workers and other cleanup crews who helped recover the remains of six construction workers. Last week, the last body was pulled from the underwater wreckage. All of the victims were Latino immigrants who came to the United States in search of job opportunities. They were working the night shift filling potholes when the bridge was destroyed.
Officials said the operation remains on track and is expected to reopen the port’s 50-foot (15-meter) draft channel by the end of May. Prior to this, crews had established a shallow temporary channel. Officials said 365 commercial ships have passed through the port in recent weeks. The port typically handles more automobiles and agricultural equipment than any other port in the country.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Baltimore native whose father and brother served as mayor decades ago, compared the Key Bridge disaster to the nighttime bombing of Fort McHenry in Baltimore, which inspired long-ago Francis Scott Key in the War of 1812.
Pelosi, a Democrat who represents California’s 11th District, attended Monday’s news conference with two of her relatives. She praised the collective response to the tragedy as government agencies came together and worked quickly without sacrificing safety.
“The whole night proved that our flag is still there,” she said. “Baltimore is strong.”
