Container ship removed 8 weeks after Francis Scott Key Bridge crash in Baltimore

Patrick Smith
Updated ·2 min read
11

The enormous container ship that struck and collapsed Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge in March was removed from the site and taken to shore in a complex procedure Monday.

The Unified Command, a collection of local and federal agencies that managed the operation, said the ship became buoyant at around 6:40 a.m. ET and was slowly moved by tugboats to a local port.

The Dali crashed into the bridge early March 26, causing a catastrophic failure of the structure, which led to the deaths of six construction workers and disrupted shipping across the East Coast. It has remained in the Patapsco River for the last eight weeks.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said Sunday that the ship would be removed "within days."

The Unified Command said in a statement Sunday, "The refloat and transit sequence is deliberately designed to ensure all response personnel around the M/V Dali maintain control of the vessel, from refloat, transit to, and berthing at a local marine terminal."

Engineers released some of the anchors and mooring lines still attached to the ship it and removed some or all of the 1.25 million gallons of water that was pumped onto it to compensate for the weight removed by precision cutting on May 13.

After it was freed and on the open water, tugboats escorted the Dali 2½ miles to a local port — all at around 1 mph.

A preliminary National Transportation Safety Board report last week found that the almost 1,000-foot-long Dali, which was sailing for Sri Lanka under a Singaporean flag, lost power twice in three minutes before the crash.

The 22 crew members were unharmed but have had to remain on board ever since the crash — including during a controlled explosion.

U.S. regulations say any ship must have a minimum staff at all times.

Government officials, investigators and union staff members have been on board to see the crew. The Singapore Maritime Officers' Union said in a statement this month that its officials visited the mariners and found they expressed an "unfounded fear of personal criminal liability" and emotional distress.

The FBI has launched a criminal investigation.

Baltimore is a top 20 U.S. port, and disruption caused by the crash has affected supply chains along the East Coast.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com