Salvage crews race against the clock to remove massive chunks of fallen Baltimore bridge https://t.co/7NDFM11Fpx — The Associated Press (@AP) April 16, 2024 Three weeks! Time flies… Per the Associated Press, “Salvage crews race against the clock to remove massive chunks of fallen Baltimore bridge”: Nearly three weeks since Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed …
Wednesday Evening Open Thread: Baltimore Bridge UpdatesPost + Comments (55)
Port of Baltimore workers seek immediate help weeks after Key Bridge collapse https://t.co/ToqWkQAqvM
— STEMNASTICS LLC. (@stem_nastics) April 16, 2024
Local news station WBAL-TV:
It has been a rough few weeks for port workers in Baltimore after the March 26 collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
Thousands of workers remain without work due to the collapse. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore signed the Maryland Protecting Opportunities and Regional Trade (PORT) Act into law to provide immediate relief, but those impacted said it’s taking too long.
“In a case like this, relief needs to happen sooner than later, and it should’ve happened by now,” said Scott Cowan, president of the International Longshoremen’s Association Local No. 333, which represents thousands of workers.
Three weeks have passed since the bridge collapsed and paychecks have not hit port workers’ pockets.
“We have lost some jobs and the cargo is diminished down in the terminals. It’s gotten even slower. More layoffs have happened, and it’s going to continue to go in that direction,” Cowan told 11 News…
Three more relief programs authorized under the PORT Act are expected to launch Monday.
There’s also the Maryland Tough, Baltimore Strong Key Bridge fund. The team behind the fund said they’re still figuring out logistics before making direct cash available to port workers.
Body of fourth Baltimore Key Bridge victim found in submerged construction truck https://t.co/HpEfl0S8w6
— FOX 5 DC (@fox5dc) April 15, 2024
The Unified Command announced Monday that a fourth body was recovered from the Patapsco River weeks after the Baltimore Key Bridge crumbled in the water.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has identified the missing victim. However, at the family’s request, their identity will not be revealed…
BREAKING: FBI opens criminal investigation into Baltimore bridge collapse, AP source says https://t.co/dGlVhmYJHu
— The Associated Press (@AP) April 15, 2024
Hours before leaving port, the massive container ship that caused the deadly collapse of a Baltimore bridge experienced apparent electrical problems, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Monday, the same day FBI agents boarded the vessel amid a criminal investigation into the circumstances leading up to the catastrophe.
The Dali departed Baltimore’s port early on March 26 laden with cargo destined for Sri Lanka. It lost power before reaching open water and struck one of the supports for Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing the span to collapse into the Patapsco River and sending six members of a road repair crew plummeting to their deaths. Two of the victims are still unaccounted for…
Board Chair Jennifer Homendy said last week the investigation is focused on the ship’s electrical system generally. The ship experienced power issues moments before the crash, as is evident in videos that show its lights going out and coming back on.
Homendy said information gleaned from the vessel’s voyage data recorder is relatively basic, “so that information in the engine room will help us tremendously.”
The FBI is now conducting a criminal investigation into the bridge collapse that is focused on the circumstances leading up to it and whether all federal laws were followed, according to a different person familiar with the matter. The person wasn’t authorized to discuss details of the investigation publicly and spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity.
FBI agents were aboard the cargo ship on Monday conducting court-authorized law enforcement activity, the agency said in a statement. It didn’t elaborate and said it wouldn’t comment further on the investigation, which was first reported by The Washington Post.
Meanwhile, Mayor Brandon Scott issued a statement Monday announcing a partnership with two law firms to “launch legal action to hold the wrongdoers responsible” and mitigate harm to the people of Baltimore. He said the city needs to act quickly to protect its own interests…
The Dali is managed by Synergy Marine Group and owned by Grace Ocean Private Ltd., both of Singapore. Danish shipping giant Maersk chartered the Dali.
Synergy and Grace Ocean filed a court petition soon after the collapse seeking to limit their legal liability — a routine procedure for cases litigated under U.S. maritime law. Their joint filing seeks to cap the companies’ liability at roughly $43.6 million. It estimates that the vessel itself is valued at up to $90 million and was owed over $1.1 million in income from freight. The estimate also deducts two major expenses: at least $28 million in repair costs and at least $19.5 million in salvage costs.
“Due to the magnitude of the incident, there are various government agencies conducting investigations, in which we are fully participating,” Synergy spokesperson Darrell Wilson said in a statement Monday. “Out of respect for these investigations and any future legal proceedings, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.”
The companies filed their petition under a provision of an 1851 maritime law that allows them to seek to limit their liability to the value of the vessel’s remains after a casualty…
The investigations come amid concerns about the safety of thousands of U.S. bridges and days after more than two dozen river barges broke loose and struck a closed span in Pittsburgh.
Had the opportunity to sit down with members of the Baltimore Industrial Group yesterday to discuss the ongoing response to the Key Bridge Collapse and how we’re working to support our port workers, their families, and local businesses. pic.twitter.com/vX4EL0beJy
— Brandon M. Scott (@MayorBMScott) April 17, 2024