The news that the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore was broken about seven weeks ago should still be remembered by many people, right?
(Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore is broken, and the scene of the accident is shown)
What few people know is that the accident has happened so long that only part of the wreckage of the broken bridge has been cleared.
It was not until May 13 that part of the bridge body stuck in the bow was finally demolished by blasting.
(Part of the bridge body stuck in the bow was demolished by blasting. Site blasting drawing)
As for the "Dali" that caused the accident and the 21 crew members on board, they were still stuck in place after 7 weeks and were not allowed to leave. Ironically, it is only 2 nautical miles (3.7 kilometers) away from the nearest port.
It is better not to go to prison than to go to prison.
We have talked about the whole process of the accident in the previous article, so I will not repeat it here. To put it simply, the Dali should have set out from Baltimore and transported its cargo to Sri Lanka after 27 days.
Unexpectedly, just starting, I bumped into it (poke at it to review).
On May 14, the preliminary investigation report of the U.S. Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) was finally released, which was 24 pages long, providing us with a general insight.
(U.S. Transportation Safety Commission investigation report, screenshot of the report)
The New York Times combed out the key points, which might be as follows:
On the day before the accident, the "Dali" experienced at least two power failures, which led the crew to adjust the power system about ten hours before departure.
The impact of the adjustment is not clear at present, but it can be determined that the cause of the accident is the tripping of the ship's circuit breaker, resulting in the loss of its propulsion and steering capabilities.
For power supply, Dali is equipped with four diesel engine driven generators. NTSB investigators detected the diesel used on the day of the accident and found no quality problem, so the problem is not here.
(Marine generator, schematic diagram)
The real problem was that one day before the accident, when the crew was installing an exhaust cleaning system on one of the engines, an employee mistakenly closed the exhaust damper, which led to the engine flameout and the generator shut down.
Later, the crew temporarily restored power supply with another generator, but the fuel pressure was always insufficient, leading to the tripping of the No. 2 generator.
In the process of restoring power supply, the crew replaced the circuit breaker with another one for standby, that is, the one used by the Dali when it left the port, which may also lay a hidden danger for later accidents.
At about 1:00 a.m. on March 26, the ship left Baltimore Harbor and moved along the busy channel.
At this time, all systems seemed to work normally, and the senior pilot in charge of the ship handed over the control to an apprentice, who was on standby.
However, when Dali approached the bridge, that is, around 1:25 in the morning, the standby circuit breaker suddenly tripped, causing a power failure, and the propulsion and steering systems subsequently failed.
At this time, the emergency generator on board was started, and power was temporarily restored. The senior driver could not watch it, and quickly took over the control.
At about 1:27, the pilot ordered the rudder to turn sharply to the left and anchor. However, at the same time, the other two circuit breakers also tripped, resulting in the second power failure.
The spare circuit breaker lasted less than half an hour.
At about 1:29, the crew finally managed to restore the power, but the propulsion of the Dali could not be restored, and it inevitably collided with the bridge.
(The accident scene of the collision of the American bridge)
One crew member recalled that when he released the brake of the port anchor, the bridge had begun to collapse and he had to run to avoid it.
The bridge staff tried their best to evacuate the traffic, but six of the eight construction workers on the bridge were still killed. Only two people were in danger and passed the sickle of death.
However, the impact of this accident is far more than the above six lives:
Baltimore Port and Francis Scott Key Bridge are crucial to commercial transportation. According to the joint estimation of several insurance companies, the insurance losses caused by this accident may be as high as 1 billion to 4 billion dollars.
The chairman of Lloyd's in London even believes that this may be the largest marine insurance loss ever.
Now lawyers are ready to fight. The Wall Street Journal estimates that the whole lawsuit may last for ten years
(The lawyer is ready to start the lawsuit. Screenshot of American media report)
As for the question of who will bear the responsibility - the investigators collected the data on the ship and talked with the crew. Their alcohol test results were negative.
However, the Baltimore City Government insists that it is the crew's pot. They have sued the owner and manager of the Dali, and accused the two companies of providing "incompetent crew" without proper skills and training
(Screenshot of American media reports on Baltimore's lawsuit against the two companies)
Later, the FBI also launched a criminal investigation into the accident. Due to the huge impact, the FBI must also be careful about everything, so it is still far from the end of all the dust.
Among the 21 crew members, 20 are Indian, and the remaining one is Sri Lankan.
Due to visa restrictions, the lack of "ashore pass", and the ongoing joint investigation by NTSB and the FBI, no one can get off the ship.
As for when the investigation will be completed God knows.
(Geographic location of the accident site, aerial photos of the accident)
The FBI even confiscated all their communication equipment. In the past two months, they have hardly contacted anyone except investigators and several charities.
In addition, since the original voyage only takes one month, the food has already been consumed.
Now, thanks to the regular replenishment of the representatives of the management company of the Dali in the United States and the love of people from all walks of life, they will not be hungry
Among the charities who contacted them were Joshua Messick, the executive director of the Baltimore International Seafarers Center, a non-profit organization that protects the rights of seafarers.
"They can't handle any online banking business, they can't pay bills for their families. They don't have any personal data, they can't contact anyone, and they can't even look at their children's photos before going to bed. They are isolated from the world, which is really sad."
(The executive director of the Baltimore International Seafarers Center, Messick, receives an interview, with a TV screen shot)
The plight of the sailors also attracted the attention of the two major trade unions representing them, namely the Singapore Maritime Officers' Union and the Singapore Seamen's Organization.
On May 11, the two guilds issued a joint statement, saying that "due to the fear of criminal responsibility, coupled with emotional torture, the morale of crew members has not surprisingly declined".
They called on the FBI to return the mobile phone as soon as possible, because "this has caused great difficulties for the crew with children at home".
In addition, David Heindel, president of the International Seamen's Union, also spoke for the sailors:
(David Heindel, President of the International Seamen's Union, information map)
"No matter how long the investigation takes, the rights and welfare of crew members should not be violated."
"We call on the relevant authorities to note that seafarers often need mobile phones to handle personal affairs to pay bills, and more importantly, they also need mobile phones to send remittances to their home countries to maintain their families' livelihoods."
"The mobile phone is a basic tool for us to take for granted, but it is crucial for them."
Finally, due to the constant appeals of several trade unions and charity organizations, the crew finally got temporary mobile phones and SIM cards in the past two days. Although there is no data, it is enough to report safety to their families at least.
In addition, many people and organizations have sent love packages to them, including some Indian snacks. It is a good consolation that they can enjoy the flavor of their hometown thousands of miles away.
A foreign media contacted the US government department to ask when the crew could end their "imprisonment", but it seems that no reply has been received for the time being, because the source report did not mention what the other party returned, nor do they know whether it will return
On the other hand, a spokesman for the Dali Management Company said that the crew were "in good condition" and "trying their best to meet their needs".
But the spokesman also said that he did not know when the crew could get off the ship.
(Several tugs floating beside the Dali, accident scene map)
Joshua Messick mentioned above is full of confidence. He thinks that the more likely situation is as follows:
The US government first cleared the wreckage of the broken bridge from the Dali, and then pulled the Dali out of the channel to make way for other ships.
Next, the government will issue temporary landing visas to the crew members, and let them come out to "set sail" in small groups. Of course, the relevant departments will closely monitor their actions
It sounds reasonable, but it's hard to say when the first step will be completed
The relevant officials expected that the Dali could be resuspended "in the next few days" (it had been crushed by the bridge wreckage before), but they also admitted that it was difficult, just like "peeling onions".
(Sonar shows that there are also a lot of debris at the bottom, which may affect the floating work. Sonar image)
Considering that the blasting of the bridge was delayed before, whether the so-called "next few days" can be fulfilled smoothly still needs a question mark.
(Floating work is like "peeling onions", media reports)
To sum up, it may still be a long way from the "release" of the crew.
Perhaps the 21 crew members did not expect to be sentenced to "life imprisonment" because they replaced a set of standby circuit breakers when they set out
I hope they can go home as soon as possible - but if the investigation after the accident can really prove that their negligence caused the accident, I hope they can get the proper sanctions.
ref:
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/14/us/baltimore-bridge-collapse-electrical-failure.html
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-69011124
