US National Transportation Safety Board interviews captain, crew of ship that struck Baltimore bridge
Providing an update on the collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, it was reported that there were 21 crew members and two pilots onboard the Singapore based Dali cargo ship when it crashed into Baltimore’s Key Bridge.
The nodal investigating federal agency stated that the two pilots on board the Dali at the time of the collision would be interviewed on Thursday as part of the ongoing investigation. The National Transportation Safety Board aims to determine what occurred onboard the Dali and inspect the structure of the bridge for insights.
A preliminary timeline leading up to the Key Bridge collapse was outlined with information from the Voyage Data Recorder (VDR). According to Marcel Muise, the National Transportation Safety Board investigator, the ship departed around 12:39 a.m. (local time) and entered the channel by 1:07 a.m. A series of events, including alarms, steering commands, and calls for assistance, were recorded on the ship’s bridge audio preceding the collision.
The investigation is expected to last 12-24 months, with NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy emphasizing the significant nature of the inquiry. The crew, primarily comprising Indian and Sri Lankan members, have been actively engaged with investigators.
The Singapore-flagged vessel collided with a pillar of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, resulting in its collapse and subsequent recovery operations. US President Joe Biden commended the crew for their decisive actions leading to the closure of the bridge, potentially saving lives.
Among the missing individuals post-collapse include Mexican nationals, as confirmed by Rafael Laveaga, Chief of the Mexico Embassy’s Consular Section in Washington. The ongoing investigation seeks to unravel the circumstances surrounding the tragic incident as authorities work towards understanding the sequence of events and the implications for bridge safety and navigation.
