What to Know About the Dali Cargo Ship, the Mid-Ocean Monster That Destroyed the Baltimore Bridge Achi-News

Here’s what to know about the Dali cargo ship that crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, causing it to collapse and leaving six bridge construction workers presumed dead.

If standing upright, the Dali would reach almost the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris or about two-thirds of the way up the Empire State Building in New York.

It can carry the equivalent of nearly 10,000 standard metal shipping containers, and at the time of the accident was carrying nearly 4,700 containers. But while those figures are impressive, the Dali pales in comparison to the world’s largest container ships, which can carry more than 24,000 containers. There are environmental and economic benefits to operating giant container ships, but their size and sheer weight make them difficult to move and stop – especially when something goes wrong.

Dali Length: 984 feet (300 meters). Weight: 95,000 tonnes when empty.

Capacity: 10,000 20-foot (6-meter) containers.

The ship shares a name with one of history’s most famous artists, the Spanish surrealist painter Salvador Dali.

Built by South Korea’s Hyundai Heavy Industries, one of the world’s largest shipbuilders, the Dali was launched in late 2014. Owned by Grace Ocean Private Ltd, it flies the Singapore flag and is powered by diesel engines.

Danish shipping giant Maersk had chartered the Dali for a planned voyage from Baltimore to Sri Lanka, but the ship didn’t get far, with the crew sending out a call on Tuesday saying they had lost power and that they had no control over the navigation system. A few minutes later, the ship rammed one of the bridge’s columns, causing the entire structure to collapse within seconds.

The ship was moving at about 8 knots, or 9 mph (15 kph). The Mayday gave authorities enough time to stop bridge traffic and likely prevent more deaths, but not enough time to clear the construction crew that was filling holes on the bridge. Divers on Wednesday recovered the bodies of two of the workers.

Nearly two dozen Dali crew members were accounted for after the crash, and one was taken to hospital with minor injuries.

The Dali passed the June 2023 inspection in Chile. A faulty pressure gauge for the fuel heaters was identified but was fixed before the vessel left port, according to authorities. The Dali was then inspected in September by the US Coast Guard in New York, and no problems were found. Before it left Baltimore, the ship was performing routine engine maintenance, according to the Coast Guard.

Federal and state officials say the crash appears to be an accident.

The Coast Guard has downloaded the cruise data recorder and sent it to the National Transportation Safety Board, which is building a timeline of what led up to the accident, with a preliminary report expected in the coming weeks. Singapore also plans to conduct its own investigation, which it says will identify lessons for the future rather than assign liability.

As well as trying to clear the debris of the bridge on the floor of the channel, officers will need to assess the damage to the Dali and ensure that it is not leaking fuel or sinking. Investigators found damage to at least 13 containers on board.

The Dali will then likely be towed back to port and the cargo unloaded.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says it’s too early to say how long it will take to reopen the Port of Baltimore or replace the destroyed bridge. He noted that it initially took five years to build the bridge.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – Associated Press)