THE Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) is investigating an incident of a Singapore-registered vessel striking a major bridge in the US city of Baltimore, which caused the bridge to collapse.
MPA on Tuesday (Mar 26) said investigators from MPA and the Transport Safety Investigation Bureau are making their way to Baltimore.
The authority said it is cooperating with the US Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board in their investigations. MPA is also in contact with the ship management company, Synergy Marine, to provide the necessary assistance.
Synergy Marine told MPA that the vessel had a momentary loss of propulsion just prior to the incident. The ship was unable to maintain the desired heading and collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
The collapse of the bridge on Tuesday sent vehicles plunging into the water below and sparked a huge emergency response, US media reported.
MPA said the incident involved the ship Dali, a 95,000 gross tonnage container vessel that was operating with 22 crew. All crew members are safe.
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The vessel was reported to have dropped its anchors as part of emergency procedures prior to its impact with the bridge.
The vessel is currently holding its position at the site of the collision, and is in a stable condition, MPA said.
The ship’s registered owner is Grace Ocean, Synergy Marine said in a statement. The ship was outbound from Baltimore to Colombo.
Search and rescue efforts led by the US authorities are ongoing. Six construction workers remained missing as at 11 pm, Singapore time.
