Baltimore Key Bridge collapse: Dali container ship refloated, moved to marine terminal

Crews in Baltimore Harbor removed the massive Dali container ship from the wreckage of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge on Monday.

The massive container ship that caused the deadly collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge nearly two months ago was refloated Monday morning and towed to a port, revealing a new opening in the city’s skyline.

The MV Dali, a Singapore-flagged neopanamax container ship, has been grounded in the main shipping channel of Baltimore Harbor since striking the bridge on March 26. Six construction workers on the bridge at the time were killed in the collapse.

Around 7 a.m., during high tide on Monday morning, tugboats were seen maneuvering the hulking ship out of the collapsed wreckage. Pieces of the bridge’s steel poked out from the ship’s bow as a mass of concrete from the collapsed roadway remained piled on top.

As crews began to slowly tow the ship to a marine terminal, a void in the city’s altered skyline could be viewed for the first time since construction of the Key Bridge was completed in 1977. The opening also highlighted the progress of the ongoing cleanup efforts as hundreds of tons of twisted steel have already been removed from the collapse site.

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The collapse occurred after the Dali lost power as it was transiting through Baltimore Harbor. The ship briefly regained power, but a second power loss left the ship unable to move in time to avert a collision with one of the piers supporting the main span of the Key Bridge. 

A preliminary National Transportation Safety Board report found that the ship had suffered issues with its electrical system prior to the accident, though it is unclear whether those earlier malfunctions played a role in the collision.

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Officials have said the Dali will likely remain in the port for several weeks and undergo temporary repairs before being moved to a shipyard for more substantial repairs.

The ship’s crew members, who have not been allowed to leave the vessel since the disaster, will be able to disembark once the Dali is docked in Baltimore, officials have said. 

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The crew, 20 of whom are from India and one from Sri Lanka, had been maintaining the ship and assisting investigators since the grounding.

Fox Business’s Eric Revell and The Associated Press contributed to this report.