Hazardous material is leaking into the Port of Baltimore following the tragic freighter crash that led to the immediate collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge earlier this week.
On Wednesday, National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Jennifer Homendy said her team had identified 56 containers of hazardous materials on board the Singaporean container ship.
A senior hazmat investigator with the agency determined that “764 tons of hazardous materials,” including corrosives, lithium ion batteries and flammables, now threaten the waters surrounding the downed bridge.
Some containers “were broken,” Homendy said, noting a sheen of hazardous material on the waterway.
On Wednesday, Jennifer Homendy, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, said her team had identified 56 containers of hazardous material on board the Singaporean container ship – some of which were leaking into the port.
The exact number of hacked containers should be available in a preliminary report, which will be ready within two to four weeks.
“Our whole focus on the scene is collecting the ephemeral evidence – that’s documenting the scene, taking pictures, taking any kind of electronics or components, whatever goes away once the scene is cleared,” added she added, noting that the agency would not present any conclusions or analyzes while specialists are still gathering material.
During Wednesday night’s news conference, Homendy described the scene where the bridge once stood as “pretty devastating.”
“Not only looking at what’s going on with the cargo containers, but also looking at what was a bridge span – three bridge spans that are all but gone. “It’s just total devastation,” she said.
The NTSB has already interviewed the ship’s captain, his mate, the chief engineer and another engineer. Tomorrow the two pilots will be interviewed on board the ship.
The boat was operated by specialized local pilots trained to avoid obstacles in ports.
These specialized pilots leave the ships as soon as they are in open water. It is believed that the ship lost power after leaving port, causing it to veer off course and crash into a column supporting the bridge.
Previous reporting by DailyMail.com suggests the ship’s entire crew could be trapped aboard the ship as authorities, including the NTSB, rush to collect perishable evidence and samples.
It is believed that the vessel, a DALI boat owned by Singaporean company Synergy Group, was crewed by 22 Indian nationals, none of whom are believed to have been seriously injured in the incident.
Part of the bridge collapsed onto the back of the ship and the crew is unlikely to be able to leave the ship until the debris is cleared.
The speed of the cleanup operation is likely to have an impact on the rest of the US economy, with Joe Biden saying 15,000 jobs depend on the port, one of the busiest in the world.
The bridge spans the Patapsco River, at the mouth of the Port of Baltimore.
President Joe Biden has vowed to move “heaven and earth” to get it reopened.
All activity from the Port of Baltimore, one of the most important trade hubs in North America, has come to a standstill.
The 50 meter wide ship is stranded under the bridge. The ship’s crew may not be able to leave the ship as the bridge debris has been cleared
“Not only looking at what’s going on with the cargo containers, but also looking at what was a bridge span – three bridge spans that are all but gone. It’s just total devastation,” said NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy
Stunning images show the mangled wreckage of the bridge, hours after it was struck by the freighter very early on Tuesday morning
The catastrophic collision has sent shockwaves throughout the state of Maryland, with Governor Wes Moore declaring a state of emergency.
Catholic churches across Baltimore held masses Wednesday evening to pray for families still awaiting news of loved ones.
The ship left the port of Baltimore around 1 a.m. Tuesday morning. He collided with the bridge around 1:30 am.
Officials quickly ruled out the catastrophe as intentional or an act of terrorism, and an early report from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) found that the container ship “lost propulsion” as it left port.