The Catastrophe
In the early hours of Tuesday, a large Cargo Vessel struck against the Francis Scott Key Bridge, in Baltimore, the famous 1.6 mile long structure sunk into water. This terrifying bridge collapse incident has left six casualties presumed dead and another tow individuals wounded, according to the Coast Guard authority.
Cause of the Bridge Collapse
The collision occurred around 1.30 a.m, when a Singapore-flagged container ship named DALI collided with one of the bridge pillars. The collision happened within minutes of the ship losing power of both engines and electric equipment. Although the captain tried to slow down the vessel by throwing the anchor and steering it away from the bridge, it was to no avail, as the ship finally hit the bridge.
Impact on the Community
The condition of the Baltimore Harbor after the accident was drastically affected along with the surrounding areas. The closure of such a crucial port, in the U.S. East Seaboard, has impacted the major shipping lanes and could only lead to further delays and increased costs for the businesses, based on the port. The bridge is an intersection for travelers driving between New York and Washington who want to avoid the traffic seen around downtown Baltimore. In addition to providing another commuting option across the harbour while handling a traffic volume of 31,000 vehicles daily, the figure increases to approximately 11.3 million vehicles annually.
Bridge Collapse and Recovery Efforts
The authorities deployed search and rescue operations in order to find the missing people. In spite of the hazardous condition and freezing water, the search and rescue operations were conducted, but they have been suspended; hence chance of rescue is minimal. Divers carry out their resumption mission early morning to recover the deceased employees.
Response and Support
Governor Moore commended the dedication and quickness of the ship crewmembers for immediately issuing a distress call prior to disaster, which made it a possibility to take action quickly to prevent further casualties. In this context, a promise for federal assistance made by U.S. President Joe Biden is aimed at reestablishing the bridge and opening the port again soon.
Recovery and Rebuilding after Bridge Collapse
The city of Baltimore is saddened by the lost lives and the damages of such a bridge collapse. Constant efforts are on to recover the remains of the collapsed section of bridge’s missing workers and rebuild the bridge, which is the keystone of the flow of traffic between New York and Washington. It will undergo a major reconstruction to re-establish the flow of traffic and the safety of drivers.
Community Solidarity
The whole Baltimore community has been involved in the process of assisting the families of the victims and in remembering those lives that that were lost in such a tragic event. Vigil and memorial services have been organized as remembrance of the workers whose lives tragically ended due to this bridge collapse.
Conclusion
The collapse of the bridge in Baltimore is a tragic event which puts forth the fact that people’s safety in the infrastructure system is not secure enough. This would require the cities efforts to include not only the process of recovering and rebuilding but also remembering the sacrifice of these lives as well as taking steps to prevent such occurrences in the future.
Watch here Team Investigating the Francis Scott Bridge Tragedy
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