The cargo ship that hit Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge was a Singaporean-flagged container ship, the DALI, according to data from a maritime monitoring site and a Coast Guard officer.
Maritime tracking website, MarineTraffic, showed the Singapore-flagged ship stopped in Baltimore, where it was departing with a destination of Colombo, Sri Lanka. It appeared stopped around 1:30 a.m. ET and was surrounded by first response boats, per the website.
It is the same time local agencies reported they received 911 calls that a large ship traveling outbound from Baltimore had struck a column on the bridge, Kevin Cartwright, spokesperson for the Baltimore Fire Department told AP.
Matthew West, a petty officer first class for the Coast Guard in Baltimore, also told the New York Times it was the DALI that struck the bridge.
The ship is around 300 meters (984 feet) long with a width of around 48 meters (157 feet), according to MarineTraffic data.
CNN has asked the Coast Guard and is attempting to contact the owner and managers of the ship.
Condition of collapsed bridge to be investigated, Baltimore Fire Department says
Officials will begin assessing the condition of the Francis Scott Key Bridge after it collapsed early Tuesday, Kevin Cartwright, director of communications of the Baltimore City Fire Department told CNN.
“This bridge has been in place for quite some time and has served many, many commuters in the Baltimore metropolitan area. So as the investigation ensues, there will be structural engineers involved to try and assess what the condition of the bridge is,” Cartwright said.
Currently, conditions are “unsafe” but investigators will also assess the condition of the bridge before its collapse, according to Cartwright.
“This is a very devastating incident in which these individuals have encountered so our hearts go out to each and every one of them, and we will be working valiantly throughout the early morning to address this,” he said.
Freezing temperatures “pose concern” as search efforts expand after Baltimore bridge collapse
Freezing conditions and limited visibility at the site of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore could “pose a concern” as rescue crews search for at least 20 people believed to have fallen into the water.
Kevin Cartwright, director of communications of the Baltimore City Fire Department, told CNN they are working with the US Coast Guard and a team of divers are in the river for search and rescue operations, with temperatures around the port at around 30 °F (-1°C).
“This happened at 01:30 a.m. with limited visibility so we are working aggressively, considering the environmental temperatures as well as the water temperatures to try and rescue and perhaps recover individuals,” Cartwright said.
“It feels like at least about 30 degrees (-1°C) where I am. It could be slightly lower than that. And I’m sure that the water temperature is even colder… And that can pose a concern and risk for our divers.”
Cartwright said the teams were working “methodically and safely” to ensure “everyone operating here on the scene is safe and that we’re able to make progress without causing adverse harm to anyone else.”