On March 27, a container fell into the sea at the height of the synchrolift in the port of Cartagena. The Port Authority requested assistance, and the CCS Cartagena mobilized the 'Salvamar Draco', which towed it to the Navantia dock for recovery. Photo: https://twitter.com/salvamentogob/status/1773009823245676701
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ABEILLE NORMANDIE
In the night of March 26 the CROSS Gris-Nez was informed that a migrant boat was in difficulty off the coast of Oye-Plage and deployed the 'Abeille Normandie' to assist. The crew of the emergency tug noticed that the boat had an engine failure and launcehd two semi-rigid boats which recovered 53 people. They were dropped off at the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer, where they were taken care of by shore based rescue teams and the border police.
DALI
Divers recovered the bodies of two of the six missing workers who fell into the icy Patapsco Riverin the night of March 27, the 35-year-old Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes and the 26-year-old Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera. They were recovered from a red pickup truck submerged in about 7.62 meters of water near the bridge’s middle span. They were on a break and some were sitting in their trucks to warm up when the bridge collapsed. It was no longer safe for divers to continue operations in the area after having exhausted all search efforts in the areas around this wreckage. Based on sonar scans, it was firmly believed that the vehicles were encased in the superstructure and concrete. The six construction workers who were presumed dead were from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. Under the weight of the bridge's rubble, the bow of the 'Dali' lies on the bottom, but nothing seemed to be leaking. There were still more than 5.5 million liters of lubricating and fuel oil on board, plus 4,700 containers, 56 of which contained hazardous substances including corrosives, flammables and lithium ion batteries. 13 containers were damaged, two fell overboard. All containers with hazardous substances were safe. Some containers were breached and a sheen there was a sheen in the water. The voyage data recorder has been recovered and helped to establish a timeline of events. The ship had departed from Seagirt Marine Terminal at around 12.39 a.m. and had entered the Fort McHenry Channel at 1.07 a.m., before numerous audible alarms were recorded on the audio from the ship's bridge at 1.24 a.m. At about the same time, the data stopped recording, though it resumed shortly after tapping into a redundant power source. At 1.26 a.m., the pilot made a high frequency radio call for tugs to assist. He later dropped the port anchor and made another radio call at 1.27 a.m., reporting the ship had lost all power and was approaching the bridge. The ship's speed over ground was recorded at around 12.9 kph before it collided with the bridge's support pylon at 1.29 a.m. The data included GPS coordinates, audio, rudder feedback, rudder commands, as well as snapshots of the radar and electronic chart, but the VDR did not record information about engineering, like the temperature of each cylinder, and power distribution censors. The investigation could take 12 to 24 months. The NTSB will not hesitate to issue urgent safety recommendations during that time. A preliminary report should be released in two to four weeks. The Singapore port authorities have confirmed that the ship was in good condition in terms of its structural integrity and "operation of the ship's equipment". In 2023, the ship passed two inspections, and a defective fuel pressure gauge was repaired. Investigators from the Singapore Ministry of Transport's Inspection Service were on their way to Baltimore to assist the US Coast Guard. The authorities had been informed that the ship was going to undergo routine engine maintenance during the port stay, but were not informed of any problems. The accident could cost insurers billions of dollars in claims, analysts say, with one putting it at as much as US$4-billion, which would make the tragedy a record shipping insurance loss. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) in the Baltimore District has activated its emergency operations center, clearing the way for more than 1,100 engineering, construction, contracting and operations specialists to provide support to local, state and federal agencies following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26. The USACE will lead the effort to clear the channel as part of the larger interagency recovery effort to restore operations at the Port of Baltimore. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is working together with local, state, and federal partners to determine the key actions required to remove the bridge. The USACE is providing certified underwater assessment capabilities by structural professional engineers, remotely operated vehicle and sonar. In addition to underwater assessments, the USACE is providing structural engineering support, including certified bridge safety inspectors and urban search and rescue structural technical specialists. This support also encompasses waterway debris management, led by USACE debris removal vessel 'Reynolds', which patrols the waters of the Baltimore Harbor and Patapsco River for drift and debris that could be hazardous to navigation. The USACE is also poised to provide to the joint response hydrographic and topographic surveying via the CATLETT, a 61-foot survey vessel that actively supports the Baltimore district’s navigation branch, whilst additional USACE vessels were prepared to join efforts as needed for waterway debris management. Report with photos: https://apnews.com/live/baltimore-key-bridge-collapse-latest-2024
PANORAMA
In the afternoon of March 26, 2024, the Karystos Port Authority was informed by the Master of the 'Panorama', which was sailing on its scheduled route from the port of Marmaris to the port of Rafina, that it had suffered a loss of the electrical power due to the breakage of the cooling belt of the second generator. The ship had on board 221 passengers with their vehicles and 18 crew members. The ship returned under its own power to the port of Marmaris, where it safely disembarked the passengers, who were forwarded to their destination by the ship-owning company. The Karystos Port Authority banned the ferry from sailing until the repair of the damage and the presentation of a certificate of class maintenance by the monitoring classification society.
DALI
The allision of the 'Dali' with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore was expected to have a limited but significant impact on the local port and shipping operations. The effect on the overall US economy was expected to be remaining relatively limited. About a dozen large ships have been trapped in Baltimore port along with a similar number of tugs and workboats. Another 30 vessels were signalling their destination as Baltimore, one of the smaller US container ports, ranking around no. 11, which handled about 265,000 TEUs in the fourth quarter of 2023. These can be redirected to other ports along the US east coast, although such a necessary move may lead to short-term congestion and delays in those ports. The port is important for the handling of specialised cargo and bulk handling, including motor vehicles and oil. In 2023 Baltimore handled approximately 850,000 motor vehicles, all types. Baltimore is particularly important for the handling of farm and construction machinery, automobiles, imported forest products, imported sugar, imported gypsum, and exported coal. No estimates have been given so far for the clearing of debris obstructing the channel and preventing access to the port. President Biden intimated on March 26 that federal funding would be available for the rebuilding of the bridge, but first it was necessary to clear the channel of all obstacles. Much of the debris can possibly be dragged away from the channel in relatively short time, allowing trapped ships to depart the port and others to enter. Meanwhile, enquiries into the cause of the ship’s failure to navigate safely have commenced. The accident site was being treated as a crime scene.