A container ship lost propulsion while navigating near the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge near the coast of New York City. This comes less than two weeks after the Dali ship chartered to Maersk lost control and caused the tragic collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, which resulted in the loss of six lives.
The “APL Qingdao,” a vessel weighing 89,000 tons and stretching 1,100 feet in length, was left anchored close to the bridge, nearly hitting the Verrazano. The US Coast Guard confirmed the ship “had experienced a loss of propulsion” on Friday night. It was under the escort of three tugboats, a common practice for large ships exiting into the Atlantic. The tugboats provided assistance until the ship regained its ability to move.
Authorities reassured the public that, despite the ship’s proximity to the bridge, its structure (reinforced with protective measures such as rock-islands around its pillars) would likely have prevented a catastrophe similar to the one in Baltimore on March 26th.
Related: Rebuilding Francis Scott Key Bridge Will Take Years, Cost At Least $400 Million
CEO of maritime news outlet gCaptain shared a photo of the incident on his X feed.
BREAKING: A NY tugboat captain has reported to @gCaptain “container 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” pic.twitter.com/Z2IP04xmLs
— John Ʌ Konrad V (@johnkonrad) April 7, 2024
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Salvage operations have begun to remove the numerous shipping containers from the stricken vessel in Baltimore, and divers recently discovered the body of one of the four workers who are still missing.
These back-to-back incidents have sparked a call to action for bridge officials to reassess and ensure the safety of infrastructure.
Retired bridge engineer Andy Herrmann emphasized the importance of thorough inspections and studies for each bridge, suggesting that now is a critical moment for reevaluation.
“Now is the time to go out and rethink what you have and make sure that all the inspections and all the studies have been made for the individual bridges themselves,” retired bridge engineer Andy Herrmann told ABC7.
Following repairs, the “APL Qingdao” had been cleared to continue its voyage to Norfolk, Virginia.
Shane Devine is a writer covering politics and business for VT and a regular guest on The Unusual Suspects. Follow Shane’s work here.
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