Another massive cargo ship loses control while leaving an American harbor — this time halted before bridge



A massive container ship attempting to leave the waters around New York City Friday reportedly suffered a similar issue to that experienced by the vessel that tragically brought the historic Francis Scott Key Bridge crashing into Baltimore Harbor late last month.

Unlike the Singapore-flagged Dali, the propulsion problem suffered by the APL Qingdao did not ultimately prove to be calamitous.

The U.S. Coast Guard confirmed to the New York Post that the APL Qingdao, a 1,145-foot, 89,000-ton ship flying under the Malta flag, lost propulsion around 8:30 p.m. while sailing along the shipping lane between Staten Island and Bayonne, New Jersey.

According to John Konrad, a maritime journalist and the CEO of gCaptain, the three tugboats that had been escorting the ship down the 3-mile Kill Van Kull waterway were aided by another three in an effort to bring the ship under control.

The ship subsequently dropped anchor just north of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge.

BREAKING: A NY tugboat captain has reported to @gCaptain \u201ccontainer ship APL QINGDAO lost power while transiting New York harbor. They had 3 escort tugs but 3 more were needed to bring her under control. They regained power & were brought to anchor near the verrazano bridge\u201d
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"Coast Guard Vessel Traffic Service New York received a report from the M/V APL Qingdao around 8:30pm, Friday, that the vessel had experienced a loss of propulsion in the Kill Van Kull waterway," the Coast Guard said in a statement obtained by the Post.

"The vessel regained propulsion and was assisted to safely anchor in Stapleton Anchorage, outside of the navigable channel just north of the Verrazano Bridge, by three towing vessels," continued the statement. "These towing vessels were escorting the vessel as a routine safety measure, which is a common practice for large vessels departing their berth."

Prior to leaving, the crew had to submit a casualty report accounting for what caused the loss of power. CBS News noted that repairs were also made to the ship's system following the incident.

At the time of publication, VesselFinder indicated that the ship had successfully made its way out of the New York harbor and was nearing its destination of Norfolk, Virginia.

Staten Island Assemblyman Charles Fall (D) told SILive.com, "While the swift response by tugboats to secure the vessel prevented immediate harm, this incident further highlights the urgent need for comprehensive safety reviews of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, the Goethals Bridge, the Bayonne Bridge, and the Outerbridge Crossing."

"The recent disaster at the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Maryland is a harrowing reminder of what could happen if we fail to prioritize the integrity of our infrastructure," added Fall.

BREAKING: Ship collides with Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, causing it to collapse
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Two weeks after power outages and a propulsion problem allegedly sent the container ship Dali crashing into Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge, divers continue to search for bodies. At least six people are believed to be dead.

Officials announced Friday that they had recovered the body of a third victim, 38-year-old Maynor Yasir Suazo-Sandoval, reported the Independent.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers indicated that a new channel will be ready for use by month's end, enabling ships to enter and leave the second-busiest port in the mid-Atlantic.

Gov. Wes Moore (D) told CBS News' "Face the Nation" that maritime operations in the Port of Baltimore could be functional as early as May.

March was apparently a bad month for American bridges and boats.

A bridge over the Arkansas River south of Sallisaw, Oklahoma, was also struck by a boat late last month. Despite a powerful thwacking sound, there was minimal damage and no casualties.

The Associated Press reported that a barge struck a pier holding Highway 59 over the river on March 30. After a brief road closure, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation indicated that the structure was subsequently deemed sound by engineers and safe to transit.

Barge crashes into the Arkansas River Bridge in Oklahoma
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Cargo ship rams into major Baltimore bridge, causing total collapse



Early Tuesday morning, a Singapore-flagged container ship called the Dali rammed into one of the piers holding up Francis Scott Key Bridge, a steel arch-shaped truss bridge extending Interstate 695 some 1,200 feet over the Baltimore Harbor. Upon impact, the bridge came toppling down — along with those vehicles on the compromised segments.

Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman indicated the bridge has "totally collapsed" and that rescue teams are on site.

So far, there have been no reports of casualties.

Baltimore Fire Chief James Wallace indicated that two people were pulled from the waters, one of whom was in serious condition, reported the Associated Press.

Wallace noted that authorities "may be looking for upwards of seven people."

The fire department reportedly employed sonar to detect vehicles that plunged into the depths.

A livestream captured the precise moment the 984-foot vessel crashed into the bridge, timestamped at 1:28 a.m.. The ship can be seen smashing into one of the piers on its way out of the port, triggering a chain reaction.

Minutes earlier, the lights aboard the ship appear to flicker, suggestive of a possible electronic malfunction.

The 9-year-old ship was on its way to Colombo, Sri Lanka, according to VesselFinder.

BREAKING: Ship collides with Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, causing it to collapse
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A photo from the tragedy at the Francis Scott Key Bridge. \n\n*Double checked, actual photo of cargo ship. #francisscottkeybridge \n\nAwaiting press conference around 7amET\u2026.
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Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) declared a state of emergency and indicated the state is working with an inter-agency team to deploy federal resources.

Kevin Cartwright, director of communications for the Baltimore Fire Department, called the incident a "dire emergency" and expressed concerns earlier in the morning that the collapse may amount to a "developing mass casualty event."

The remains of both the collapsed bridge and the ship's cargo may hinder traffic into and out of the port, the second-busiest port in the mid-Atlantic. This could prove greatly consequential for trade and commerce.

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\ud83d\udea8#BREAKING: Morning Daylight reveals the aftermath of the mass casualty event of the Scott Key Bridge collapse\n\n\ud83d\udccc#Baltimore | #Maryland\n\nWatch As morning daylight approaches, it reveals the devastating aftermath of an early morning incident after a large cargo ship from\u2026
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Synergy Marine Group, the outfit that owns and manages the vessel, reportedly confirmed that the ship collided with the bridge while in control of two pilots. The crew suffered no fatalities or injuries.

Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley indicated there is "absolutely no indication" that the Dali rammed into the bridge intentionally.

An unclassified Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency report noted that the Dali "lost propulsion" while leaving port and that the pilots alerted officials to their loss of control, reported ABC News.

The Maryland Transportation Authority noted that alternate routes across the harbor are the I-95 or I-895 tunnels. Vehicles transporting hazardous materials are barred from using the tunnels and must use the western section of I-695 around the tunnels, according to the MDTA.

Brandon Scott, Baltimore's Democratic mayor, said, "This is a tragedy that you can never imagine," adding that the collapse "looked like something out of an action movie."

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Thousands of chicks shipped through USPS arrive dead to Maine farms



Farmers and politicians in Maine are sounding the alarm after discovering thousands of baby chickens have arrived dead to poultry farms following transport through the United States Postal Service in recent weeks.

What are the details?

The Press Herald first reported on the issue, telling the story of poultry farmer Pauline Henderson, who received a shipment of 800 chicks last week—and every one of them was dead. "We've never had a problem like this before," she told the local newspaper. "Usually they arrive every three weeks like clockwork, and out of 100 birds you may have one or two that die in shipping."

Henderson is left with few alternatives, because it is cost-prohibitive to pay employees to pick the chicks up from hatcheries out of state, and the New York Post reported that the USPS "is the only mail service that ships live chicks."

But Henderson, who owns and operates Pine Tree Poultry in New Sharon, is not the only grower who has this problem.

Maine Rep. Chellie Pingree (D) says her office has received dozens of complaints about large shipments of chicks arriving dead via USPS, and by her count, farmers reported at least 4,800 birds killed during transport over the past few weeks.

Pingree blames recent changes introduced to the USPS by the Trump administration, as the agency struggles with low mail volume due to the COVID-19 crisis. "It's one more of the consequences of this disorganization, this sort of chaos they've created at the post office and nobody thought through when they were thinking of slowing down the mail."

She added, "This is a system that's always worked well before and it's worked very well until these changes started being made."

New Postmaster General Louis DeJoy has come under fire from Democrats over the reforms.

Politico reported:

DeJoy, a Republican donor who's the first postmaster general who did not come from the ranks of the Postal Service, took control of the agency in June and has since swiftly engineered cuts and operational changes that are disrupting mail delivery operations. In Maine, two mail-sorting machines were dismantled at the state's postal distribution hub.

Last week, DeJoy issued a statement saying that while he believes "significant reforms" are needed at the USPS, he will put them on hold for now. "To avoid even the appearance of any impact on election mail," he wrote, "I am suspending these initiatives until after the election is concluded."