Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2024/03/26/at-least-10-missing-after-baltimore-bridge-collapses-into-river.html
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I can see jutting metal and two long ramps to nowhere on my way into work today. I have to wonder what happened on that ship that it just plowed right into the bridge.
What a disaster. I fear that more than a few lives were lost due to this accident.
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Thankfully this did not happen during rush hour.
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Washington Post from Reuters reports that two pilots were aboard at the time.
I haven’t seen any information about a cause from the shipping company.
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The way it collapsed was awful. Was this one of the many bridges that have been neglected because the GOP has refused to fund infrastructure for decades?
I hope they find all the people on the bridge before it is too late.
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Well it’s in Baltimore so what do you think? 
it’s so enraging, because SHIT LIKE THIS CAN BE AVOIDED…
God, I’m so mad about everything that I’m turning into one of those all caps people…
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Seems to me that the ship would not have been going very fast after having just left port. Tide was going out but still.
It’s going to have some economic impact during clean up and re-construction.
Baltimore Port: What impact will bridge collapse have on shipping?
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/baltimore-port-coal-cars-cruise-lines-2024-03-26/
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They’ve pulled two people out of the water. One was rushed to hospital in critical condition, the other “declined service”.
Imagine being the kind of person who falls two hundred feet into ten-degree water and then just goes “Nah, I’m fine,” when the rescuers finally fish them out.
They must make 'em tough in Baltimore.
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Or they couldn’t afford a hospital bill, which for many people (the uninsured and under-insured) could mean disaster to their entire family… 
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Especially after losing their vehicle.
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More like “Thanks hun, I’m fine.” 
(Baltimore thing)
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Oh, I don’t doubt it, but I’m not sure even the most meticulously maintained bridge can withstand 100,000 tons of ship slamming square into one of its main support piers. I’d be more concerned about who was or wasn’t maintaining that ship.
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Yes, but this disastrous outcome is even more likely when infrastructure is maintained…
How about both? There is PLENTY of malfeasance to go around in this shitty world.
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I wouldn’t think maintenance would stop the part of the bridge hit from falling. But maintenance or a rebuild with better tech could have meant only that section collapsed, the collapse was less total so the cars didn’t end up in the water, or the rest collapsed more slowly, allowing cars to GTFO.
I am not an engineer by any means. It just seems like bridges should be made to be a bit more modular if a support beam is hit so the entire thing doesn’t come down in 3 seconds.
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“I’m sorry, Mr. Smith, but if you look at your policy you’ll see that injuries resulting from having most of a steel truss bridge land on your head in the middle of the night are specifically excluded from coverage. Unfortunately, the hospital to which you were taken is also out-of-network, which means that you’re now responsible for paying a hospital bill only slightly smaller than the anticipated cost of replacing the bridge itself. Thank you for being a GigantoHealth customer, and get well soon.”
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Perhaps having the third longest span of any continuous truss in the world contributed to it’s apparent fragility.
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Wait… they’re worried about the shipping? I’m confused about why they aren’t more worried about the loss of a bridge, based on victims in the water and what seems like a major route for commuters is gone. Is this some scenario where the debris makes the area unnavigable, or just some ghoulish shit from folks worried they can’t do business as usual in a disaster area/potential crime scene?
ETA: I get that the port would be asked to give a statement, but this is why I don’t do PR, because my answer would be, “I can’t believe you asked that right now, but we’ll let you know after the first responders are finished.” Probably followed by thoughts and prayers… 
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A Singapore-based shipping expert who has sailed cargo ships through Baltimore’s port many times has been speaking with the BBC.
“The vessel had just departed from berth and made a turn before hitting the bridge”.
Having seen the footage, he has said there were a few possible causes:
- Main engine failure
- Steering failure
- Generator blackout
- Possibility of pilot/human error
“It’s an unusual turn. Before a ship departs, we are supposed to carry out all the checks on all elements of the vessel before it departs. It’s part of the departure checklist. So, if everything was done, something was obviously overlooked,” he says, speaking on the basis of anonymity.
“These ships are so huge that even if the speed is slow, the momentum would be huge,” he adds.
He questions when the last structural check of the bridge was carried out. “Having a port right next to the bridge with ships going underneath it all the time – it should have been checked often,” he says.
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Yeah, I hear 'ya. The Port of Baltimore is the nation’s largest facility for specialized cargo, think cars etc. so it’s a big concern for capitalists with little empathy for the loss of life not their own.
On the bright side this might slow down car theft operations for a time.
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Waiting for the conspiracy nut-jobs to appear.
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