Baltimore bridge collapse: Ship had ‘blackout’ before leaving port

Crews conduct a controlled demolition of a section of the Francis Scott Key Bridge resting on the Dali container ship. Pic/AFP

Investigators probing the March collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore said in a preliminary report on Tuesday the cargo ship Dali experienced an electrical blackout about 10 hours before leaving the Port of Baltimore while undergoing maintenance.

The power outage was caused by a crewmember mistakenly closing an exhaust damper, causing the ship's engine to stall, the report issued by the National Transportation Safety Board said. The ship lost power again and crashed into one of the bridge's supporting columns shortly after leaving the port on March 26, which brought the bridge down in seconds.

A full investigation could take a year or more, the agency said. The board launched its investigation almost immediately after the March 26 collapse, which sent six members of a roadwork crew plunging to their deaths.

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