(Photo : hoto by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)
The collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge lies on top of the container ship Dali in Baltimore, Maryland, on March 27, 2024.
The Coast Guard is releasing information about what the cargo ship that hit the Key Bridge in Baltimore was carrying at the time of the accident.
Vice Admiral Peter Gautier says the ship was carrying 4,700 cargo containers. He gave the information during a White House press briefing on Wednesday afternoon.
He says 13 containers were damaged when the bridge fell onto the deck of the Dali and two containers fell overboard during the accident.
Gautier said there are 56 containers onboard that contain hazardous materials. None of those containers were among the ones that were damaged or went overboard.
Video obtained by HNGN and taken right after the wreck shows massive damage to the Dali's hull from the impact with the bridge.
Video exclusively obtained by HNGN shows the first up close look at the crash of the Dali freight ship into Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge as responders use flashlights to survey the wreckage. pic.twitter.com/fdBx0BDbkx
— HNGN (@HNGNcom) March 26, 2024
Gautier says the air is being monitored for any toxic releases but he says there currently is no danger to the public from the incident.
The bow of the ship is sitting on the bottom of the river due to the weight of the debris that fell on the ship on Tuesday morning.
There are about 1.5 million gallons of fuel on the ship. Divers were still inspecting the hull on Wednesday afternoon but there are no signs of any leaks so far.
Army Corps of Engineers will be brought in to remove the parts of the bridge that are on top of the vessel so it can be moved.
Gautier says the crew remains on the ship and has been cooperative with the investigation.
The Port of Baltimore will remain closed until after the recovery operation is finished.
"The effect will not be trivial," Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said at the briefing adding that there is no timeline for reopening the port.
Crews are still trying to try to recover the bodies of construction workers who died in the bridge collapse.
Among the six workers who are missing are men originally from Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala.
The NTSB is leading the investigation into the cause of the accident. It has recovered and it analyzing the so-called "black boxes" from the ship to create a timeline of the minutes before the fatal crash.
