22 Indian Crew Members Remain Trapped On MV Dali Ship After Baltimore Bridge Collapse

The Indian crew members of the container vessel that slammed into the Baltimore Bridge recently continue to be trapped on board the stricken vessel, a report says.

The MV Dali ship slammed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge of Baltimore in the early hours of Tuesday, making it collapse into the Patapsco River.

Six construction employees who were on the bridge lost their lives. The ship’s crew members were reportedly unharmed following the collision but were unable to leave the vessel, per The NY Times.

Per the report, they must wait until enough debris has been cleared to free the ship and could remain on board for weeks.

On Tuesday, the ship’s crew members were praised for alerting relevant authorities that the vessel lost power, leading to cars diverting from the bridge and preventing additional fatalities.

The crew members, who are all Indians, are likely proceeding with work to maintain the vessel as they continue to be stranded, the Times informed.

Maryland’s Governor Wes Moore declared that the workers were cutting a portion of the collapsed bridge into smaller sections so that it becomes manageable to remove, allowing other vessels to access the site.

Video Credits: KHOU 11/YouTube

Chris James, who works for a consulting company assisting the vessel’s management firm, Synergy Marine, mentioned that the crew members have adequate water, food, and fuel supplies to keep the generators running, per The Times.

James declared that once the Coast Guard and National Transportation Safety Board complete their investigations, they will look at swapping the crew out and getting them home.

Those onshore have devised innovative ways to get in touch with crew members who do not have access to consistent internet on the vessel.

Joshua Messick, the executive director of the Baltimore International Seafarers’ Center, a religious nonprofit organization, reported to The Times that he had sent the crew two WiFi hotspots and had also written a letter to the captain that was delivered by another vessel. Given the occurrences, the crew members are faring well.

Andrew Middleton operates a program that ministers to sailors coming through the port dubbed the Apostleship of the Sea. He notified The Times that he was in regular communication with two crew members on board.

He said that their answers meandered from good to great when he asked how they were doing. So, by their accounts, they are OK.

The Dali is owned by Grace Ocean, a Singapore-based company, and was chartered by the Danish shipping major Maersk. Per Grace Ocean, loaded with 4,700 shipping containers, set sail for Colombo in Sri Lanka as the crash happened.

Reference: TOI, Yahoo

22 Indian Crew Members Remain Trapped On MV Dali Ship After Baltimore Bridge Collapse appeared first on Marine Insight – The Maritime Industry Guide

Source: Maritime Shipping News