Cargo Ship Collision In Baltimore: All 22 Crew Members Indian Nationals; No Injuries Reported

All 22 crew members aboard the cargo ship involved in the collision with a major bridge in Baltimore are Indian nationals, the company stated.

Synergy Marine Group, the ship's management company, confirmed that all crew members, including the two pilots, have been located and are uninjured. There were no reports of pollution resulting from the incident.

The collision occurred at approximately 1:27 a.m. ET (10:57 am IST) as the container ship 'Dali,' en route to Sri Lanka, struck a pylon of the bridge while navigating down the Patapsco River. The impact caused a significant portion of the bridge to collapse into the river. The vessel, registered under Grace Ocean Pte Ltd and flying the Singapore flag, was carrying 4,679 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) at the time, though it is capable of carrying up to 10,000 TEU.

A construction crew working on the bridge suffered casualties, with eight individuals falling into the river's icy waters, which were approximately 8°C. Two individuals were rescued, one unharmed and the other critically injured, leaving six individuals still missing.

Eyewitnesses captured the dramatic moment on video as the bridge collapsed, sending several vehicles plunging into the river. The vessel itself caught fire, enveloping the scene in thick black smoke. Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott described the incident as "an unthinkable tragedy," comparing it to a scene from an action movie.

In response to the bridge collapse, Mayor Scott declared a state of emergency.

Maryland state senator Johnny Ray Salling, a Republican from the area, emphasized the bridge's importance to transportation and commerce, stating that its loss would have a devastating impact on the entire region and the East Coast.