Cargo ships blocked after coal carrier explosion near site of Baltimore’s Key Bridge collapse
BALTIMORE – The main channel used by cargo ships to enter and exit Baltimore Port was still closed on Tuesday morning while investigating the cause of an explosion in a coal carrier on Monday evening.
Since the explosion near the Francis Scott Key bridge collapse, no large ship has carried goods inside or outside the harbor. The coal ship anchored and surrounded the Night with the tugboats just north of the Gulf Gulf Bridge. In the south of the bridge, some of them waited for several cargo ships in the harbor on Monday night.
Maryland Port Administration on Tuesday morning notification, Fort Mchenry Federal channel US Coast Guard, the ship traffic for the safe re -opening for the safe and prevented ships will remain closed until new arrival and departure times, he said. The agency directed all other questions to the Coast Guard, which did not immediately answer the questions about the closing.
The Coast Guard said on Monday evening, W-Sapphire should be cleaned to continue to sail. The coal carrier is scheduled to be in the sea for more than a month by traveling from Baltimore to Mauritius, an island on the eastern coast of Africa.
According to the Baltimore City Fire Brigade, some of the Liberian flag cast carrier exploded on Monday evening and caused a fire in some of the ship. The fire ball exploded from the ship that left the Curtis Bay Coal Pier on Monday at 18.00 on the Francis Scott Key bridge.
“W-Sapphire is burning in the middle of the channel,” a person was heard in the marine radio transmissions recorded shortly before calling a mürettebat member for a coal explosion.
According to Firefighter John Marsh, the city of Baltimore, the ship carrying a 751 -meter coal showed a sign of a consistent fire with the explosion.
“Firefighters responded by both land and water, including the firefighters of the department,” Marsh said. “The ship was standing and supported by tugboats.”
According to firefighters, 23 of the crew members were accountable and were not damaged. According to Matthew West, the ship’s small officer had two pilots. Coast Guard also helped to save the crew and save the ship and investigates the reason for the explosion.
Coal is the largest export port of Baltimore and is considered as dangerous cargo. In 2017, a ship carrying coal from Baltimore to Portugal exploded, killed a crew member and wounded three people.
Marine Inc., a Greek company that manages W-Sapphire.
Gov. Wes Moore said it was in contact with the authorities on Monday night and that more information about the explosion will be provided as “usable”.
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