Why Bridges Collapse: The Baltimore Disaster

On 26 March 2024, a 100,000-tonne container ship, the MV Dali, crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. Tragically, six people lost their lives, the Port of Baltimore was closed indefinitely and an iconic piece of Baltimore’s skyline was destroyed.

In the immediate aftermath of the collision, rescue teams combed the site for survivors, a salvage operation led by the US Army, Navy and Coastguard swung into action, and investigators raced to gather evidence for what caused this catastrophic incident.

In the early hours of the morning, the Dali left port, bound for Sri Lanka. But just 49 minutes after its departure, it suffered a series of blackouts which caused the engine and steering to shut down. Despite attempts by the crew to regain power, the ship was on a collision course with one of the main supports of the Key Bridge.

Why did the ship lose power? What caused it to veer off course? And why did the entire bridge collapse?

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