Latest | A June inspection revealed a problem with the ship's machinery

Latest news on shipwreck that collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore (all times local):

Inspectors in June discovered a problem with the ship's mechanism that caused a large bridge in Baltimore to collapse early Tuesday.

But according to the shipping information system Ecosys, a more recent inspection of the vessel, called the Daly, did not identify any defects.

The Daly, owned by Grace Ocean PTE, has been inspected at least 27 times in ports around the world since its construction in 2015. An inspection conducted at a port in Chile in June identified a problem with the ship's “propulsion devices and auxiliary machinery.” According to Equasis, but the website's records did not elaborate.

The most recent listed inspection of Dali was conducted by the US Coast Guard in New York on September 13, 2023. According to Equasis data, the “standard inspection” did not identify any deficiencies.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, left, speaks during a news conference as Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) looks on near the scene where a container ship struck an abutment on the Francis Scott Key Bridge, Tuesday, March 26, 2024 in Baltimore. A major bridge in Baltimore collapsed after a container ship collided with it early Tuesday, plunging several vehicles into the river below. Rescuers were searching for several people in the water. (AP Photo/Steve Rourke)

Photo: AP/Steve Rourke

A July 2016 inspection in Belgium found that damage to the ship's hull had impaired Daly's seaworthiness after it struck a pier used for docking in the port of Antwerp.

currently:

– The Baltimore Bridge collapsed after a helpless cargo ship collided with it. 6 people are missing

– What we know about the Baltimore bridge collapse

– List of major US bridge collapses caused by ships and barges

—Who was Francis Scott Key, whose namesake bridge fell?

– Live updates on APNews.com

– Find more AP coverage at https://apnews.com

More latest:

Biden says he will visit Baltimore soon

President Joe Biden said Tuesday that he plans to travel to Baltimore “as quickly as I can” and that he plans for the federal government to bear the full cost of rebuilding the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which collapsed earlier in the day after a container collapsed. The ship lost power and collided with it.

“We will rebuild this port together,” Biden said in brief remarks from the White House, shortly before his departure for North Carolina.

The president said he expects lawmakers on Capitol Hill to support his bid to ensure the U.S. government pays for rebuilding the bridge.

“This is going to take some time,” Biden said. “However, the people of Baltimore can count on us to stick with them every step of the way until the port is reopened and the bridge is rebuilt.”

Biden repeated previous statements by officials that all current indicators indicate that the collapse was just an accident.

He added: “At this time, we have no other indication, no other reason to believe there was any intentional action here.”

Biden's expected rival in this year's presidential race, Republican Donald Trump, had not commented publicly on the bridge collapse as of midday Tuesday.

Expert Notes: Obvious lack of pavement protection

It appears that the bridge does not have the pier protection to withstand the crash of a cargo ship, according to the professor of civil and environmental engineering.

Professor Roberto Leon, of Virginia Tech, said he reviewed the video of the incident on Tuesday.

“If a ship of this size collides with a bridge pier that is not adequately protected, the bridge will not be able to do much,” Lyons said.

Maryland recently retrofitted another bridge with pavement protection devices for about $100 million, he said.

It's expensive, he said, but the price will be small compared to the expected losses from the damaged bridge, including additional miles traveled, fuel and business costs.

The feds rated the bridge as being in fair condition

The bridge was rated as being in generally good condition before the accident, the latest federal data shows.

The Federal Highway Administration evaluates bridges based on the condition of their individual components. In a national bridge inventory released in June, inspectors rated the Key Bridge deck, substructure and superstructure — or the component that absorbs the direct traffic load — as satisfactory.

The bridge carried an estimated 30,800 vehicles per day on average in 2019. According to the Maryland Transportation Authority, that means about 11.3 million vehicles per year across the bridge, which was built in the 1970s and was 1.6 miles (2.6 kilometers) long.

The shipowner and operator have had lawsuits in the past

Synergy Marine, which operated the ship that struck the bridge, and the ship's owner, Grace Ocean Private Ltd, have been sued at least four times in U.S. federal court over negligence allegations and other allegations related to worker injuries on other owned and operated vessels. By Singapore-based companies.

One lawsuit, in 2019, involved an Oregon man who broke several bones when a rope ladder he was using to board a refrigerated cargo ship snapped, sending him falling 25 feet to the ground.

Also that year, a Texas worker was injured when a hatch on the same ship, the M/V Star Leader, was opened prematurely without warning by a member of the ship's crew.

In 2021, a longshoreman in Savannah, Georgia, sued Synergy when he fell 5 feet onto a walkway whose railing collapsed, injuring his back and shoulder.

The three lawsuits were settled out of court.

The fourth case, involving a Houston port worker who was pinned under a pile of metal pipes he was trying to remove, was dismissed.

6 construction workers are missing

Officials said six people were still missing after the bridge collapsed, and they were all believed to be working on repairs at the time.

Construction workers were repairing the potholes, Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul Wedefeld said in a news conference on Tuesday.

Governor Wes Moore said he was grateful that after the freighter's distress call, authorities were able to prevent cars from crossing the bridge.

“These people are heroes,” Moore said. “They saved lives last night.”

The Governor says the ship has reported a loss of power

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore says the freighter reported losing power before it crashed and caused the bridge to collapse.

Moore said Tuesday that a distress call from the ship allowed officials to limit traffic on the bridge before the accident.

Moore, a Democrat, said at a news conference near the collapsed bridge that the preliminary investigation indicates the incident was an accident and that there is no credible evidence of a terrorist attack.

“This morning, our country is in shock,” he said.

“We're strong in Maryland, and we're strong in Baltimore,” Moore said. “So in the face of heartbreak, we come together.”

The mayor declares a state of emergency

The mayor of Baltimore declared a state of emergency in response to the bridge collapse.

Mayor Brandon Scott, a Democrat, issued an executive order Tuesday morning to deploy and expand emergency resources. The state of emergency will remain in effect for 30 days, and is subject to renewal or revocation as circumstances require.

The National Transportation Safety Board said it would form a team to investigate the bridge collapse and would hold a media conference later on Tuesday.

Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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