The Port of Baltimore has shut down vessel traffic following a collision between a Maersk-chartered container ship and a suspension bridge spanning the port’s lower harbor early Tuesday morning. The US Coast Guard (USCG) received a report at 1:27 am that the vessel struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing an indeterminate number of casualties after the bridge collapsed and sent vehicles into the water.
On its website, The Port of Baltimore released the following notice:
We want to express our deepest thoughts to the individuals and families involved in this morning’s tragic incident.
Vessel traffic into and out of the Port of Baltimore is suspended until further notice. This does not mean the Port of Baltimore is closed. Trucks are being processed within our marine terminals.
At this time, we do not know how long vessel traffic will be suspended. As soon as that is determined we will provide an update. Until then please keep those involved in your prayers.
The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge is expected to disrupt shipping, rail, trucking within the Port of Baltimore, and Mid-Atlantic region and put added pressure on container lines as they divert scheduled vessel calls.
At this time, it is unclear how long the port will be impacted. Once further information is available, our operations and customer service teams will be reaching out to affected import and export clients to provide specific cargo updates and arrangements.
We join the entire shipping community in support of all those affected by this tragedy.
Should you need further information or have any concerns or queries, please contact your local Laufer customer service or sales representative.
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