27-03-2024, 09:35 AM
The vessel was dead: there were no electronics and - crucially - no engine power. They were adrift but powerless to stop what was happening.
Multiple alarms rang out as the crew ran unsuccessful tests in a desperate attempt to fix the issue and regain power.
"There's a ship approaching that has lost their steering," an official with the Maryland Transportation Authority can be heard saying in radio traffic recorded not long after. "Until you've got that under control, we've got to stop all traffic."
Maryland Governor Wes Moore later hailed the crew as "heroes" and said that their quick response "saved lives" because authorities were able to stop the flow of vehicle traffic onto the bridge in the two minutes between the call and the collision.
Six people - all believed to be members of a road crew working on the bridge - are presumed dead.
Local media had reported that the six workers were citizens of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. The BBC has not independently confirmed this and has contacted consular authorities for comment. All 22 crew on the ship were Indian - the country is a major player in the global seafaring industry.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-68670567
Multiple alarms rang out as the crew ran unsuccessful tests in a desperate attempt to fix the issue and regain power.
"There's a ship approaching that has lost their steering," an official with the Maryland Transportation Authority can be heard saying in radio traffic recorded not long after. "Until you've got that under control, we've got to stop all traffic."
Maryland Governor Wes Moore later hailed the crew as "heroes" and said that their quick response "saved lives" because authorities were able to stop the flow of vehicle traffic onto the bridge in the two minutes between the call and the collision.
Six people - all believed to be members of a road crew working on the bridge - are presumed dead.
Local media had reported that the six workers were citizens of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. The BBC has not independently confirmed this and has contacted consular authorities for comment. All 22 crew on the ship were Indian - the country is a major player in the global seafaring industry.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-68670567