- The city’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed early Tuesday after the 10,000 container-capacity vessel Dali collided with a bridge pillar. Rescue efforts are underway.
- Logistics companies up and down the East Coast were urgently relaying messages back and forth to clients Tuesday on the status of their imports and exports after the Port of Baltimore was shut down in response to the collapse of the city’s Francis Scott Key Bridge. A massive rescue effort was underway Tuesday morning.
Shipping giant Maersk announced that due to the incident, its ships will avoid the port of Baltimore, one of the busiest in the US, for the foreseeable future. The Singapore-flagged Dali was chartered by Maersk but its crew does not belong to the company.
According to the local authorities the bridge met the specifications and had no structural problems. "The direct impact concerns the ship's cargo itself. Other scheduled shipments through Baltimore may be rerouted, potentially increasing cargo flow to New York, Norfolk and nearby ports,” said Goetz Alebrand, senior vice president and head of U.S. shipping at DHL Global Forwarding. "Baltimore-dependent bulk and car carriers must modify shipments in case of extended closure."
