Singapore, March 27 (IANS) – Singapore’s Transport Safety Investigation Bureau and Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) have sent officials to Baltimore, US, to assist in the investigation of a ship-bridge collision incident. A Singapore-flagged container vessel collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, causing the bridge to collapse.
The ship management company, Synergy Marine Pte Ltd, stated that the vessel lost propulsion before the collision, resulting in a failure to maintain its course and crashing into the bridge. The vessel deployed its anchors as part of emergency procedures prior to the impact, and was under pilotage at the time of the incident.
Search and rescue operations, led by US authorities, are currently underway. The MPA’s statement did not provide further details regarding the extent of the damage caused by the collision. The investigation into the incident is ongoing, with officials from Singapore collaborating with local authorities in Baltimore to determine the cause of the accident.
