Baltimore Key Bridge Crash: March 26th, 2024

The Francis Scott Key Baltimore Bridge collapse has left the nation in shock. On Tuesday, March 26th, 2024 at 1:30 AM the Baltimore Key Bridge was struck by a container ship (Dali) passing below. The 948 foot long cargo ship hit one of the two base support beams of the bridge, causing the entire structure to collapse upon the initial impact. Impact is suspected to be due to the ship’s to a loss of power minutes before approaching the bridge and the failure of the cargo ship’s propulsion. Crew members onboard notified the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) that control of the ship had been lost and collision with the bridge was possible. The emergency call from the ship allowed for traffic to be stopped on both ends of the bridge, however 6 construction workers were on the bridge repairing potholes and masonry at the time of the crash.

 Search and rescue efforts continued throughout the day Tuesday to locate the remaining individuals who were on the bridge at the time of impact. On Wednesday March 27th, search efforts were paused due to the amount of debris prohibiting divers from safely navigating the area. The pause occurred after the recovery of two bodies from the individuals that were involved in the bridge collapse. The crash has resulted in the closure of one of the country’s busiest ports.

Social media conversations surrounding the key bridge crash on March 26th, 2024 have continued to rise as the investigation into the deadly event continues and information on the exact events of the crash are being revealed. Since Tuesday, the topic has had a reach of 6.93 billion and 368.96 K mentions. In addition to the six workers who were initially missing, two other workers were rescued, of which one is in the hospital. The topic reached its peak on March 26th, 2024 at 8:00 PM. 

One of the main topics of conversation has been Dali’s involvement in previous incidents. Individuals call into question the reason for its continued use. Some conversations even call into question if this event was an accident.  

Additional commentary occurred regarding one of the two workers who was located shortly after the crash and opted not to go to the hospital. 

First responders are also being praised for their efforts to prevent further loss of life/injury from occurring during the crash. 

The cause of Dali’s power failure is still unknown. Jennifer Homendy, National Transportation Safety Board Chair, stated that investigators had boarded the ship to recover the data recorder in hopes of piecing together the timeline and reasoning leading to the crash.

Author: Lexi Merriman