NTSB chair: Hazmat containers breached during bridge collapse 

The cargo ship that crashed into Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge was carrying dozens of hazardous materials containers, some of which were damaged during the collapse, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said. It was announced on Wednesday.

NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said Wednesday that the agency had obtained the manifest of the ship, named Dali, which was on its way to Sri Lanka when it crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore Tuesday night. Ta.

She said one of the NTSB’s senior hazardous materials investigators identified “56 containers containing hazardous materials” on the Dali, a 985-foot-long vessel.

“This is 764 tons of hazardous materials, most of which are corrosive, flammable and several other hazardous materials, Class 9 hazardous materials including lithium-ion batteries,” Homendy said at a press conference Wednesday. Stated. “Part of the hazardous materials container was destroyed.”

Homendy said investigators observed some sheen in the waterways around the collapse site, adding that federal, state and local authorities are aware of these problems and have a responsibility to address them. He added that there is. scene, A shiny or iridescent appearance on the water surface can be caused by oil, gasoline, or other livestock products being dropped into the water.

He noted that the NTSB’s role is to investigate and collect indelible evidence in an incident and does not provide findings or conclusions while on the scene.

A group of construction workers were filling a hole on the bridge span when the crash occurred around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday. Eight people were initially reported missing, two of whom were rescued on Tuesday.

The bodies of two of the remaining six missing persons were found on Wednesday, and four remain missing and presumed dead.

Homendy said 21 crew members and two pilots were on board the ship at the time of the accident.There were no deaths or serious injuries. reported among the crew.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said Tuesday that shortly before the crash, the Dali’s operations department issued an alert that the ship had lost power but was still heading toward the span at a “very high speed.” Stated. The warning allowed authorities to restrict traffic on the bridge.

The ship is owned by Singapore-based Grace Ocean Private Limited and was flying the Singaporean flag, the Associated Press reported, citing data from Marine Traffic.

The Port of Baltimore has been closed due to the collapse, but officials have not announced a timeline for when it will reopen. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Wednesday expressed concern about the impact of the port closure on the local economy, saying that while more than $100 million in cargo passes through the port each day, 8,000 jobs are directly related to port activities. He pointed out that there was.

President Biden has vowed to rebuild the bridge and said he expects the federal government to pay for the bill with support from Congress.