[houseoftechno]

They reopened shipping lane within 24 hours of explosion, so I presume no foul play. I bet this was a dust-ignition explosion:

• Ship was hauling coal
• Flames dissipated quickly with no residual fire

Explosion on cargo ship closes Baltimore shipping channel near site of 2024 bridge collapse

BALTIMORE — Investigators on Tuesday were trying to determine what caused an explosion aboard a cargo ship laden with coal as it departed Baltimore’s harbour for East Africa.

Officials said no one was injured in the blast Monday evening, which prompted a mayday call when it was reported near the site of last year’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse. Video of the explosion showed flames shooting high into the air, followed by a large plume of dark smoke billowing over the Patapsco River.

The Port of Baltimore’s main shipping channel was closed for several hours Tuesday while crews worked to locate a hatch from the ship that detached during the explosion and fell into the water, officials said. They announced late Tuesday afternoon that the channel had reopened.

The 751-foot (229-metre) merchant vessel W-Sapphire was en route from Baltimore to East Africa, according to marine tracking websites. It was expected to arrive in the Port of Mauritius in about a month. Built in 2012, the ship is currently sailing under a Liberian flag. Officials said it was transporting coal.

There were 23 crewmembers and two pilots aboard at the time of the explosion, according to Coast Guard officials.

The ship is now anchored closer to Annapolis, Maryland, near the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.

“Crews are awaiting verification to confirm safe conditions before proceeding with further Coast Guard investigations onboard the vessel,” the agency said in a news release Tuesday afternoon.

Baltimore Fire Department spokesperson John Marsh said the agency responded to a fire below deck. There were no reports of property damage beyond the ship, according to the Maryland Department of Emergency Management.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said his office was closely monitoring the situation.

The Coast Guard established a 2,000-yard (1,829-metre) safety zone around the site of the explosion while crews searched for the missing hatch. They used a sonar-equipped survey vessel called Buck to assess the underwater conditions.

The channel was closed for months after the deadly bridge collapse in March 2024, which killed six members of a roadwork crew and effectively brought port operations to a standstill. The bridge was destroyed when the container ship Dali lost power and crashed into one of its supporting columns.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/article...idge-collapse/

[zeb247]

Baltimore seems to have ship issues.

[houseoftechno]

Yeah. I just noticed: In the background of the cargo ship explosion vid are remaining bridge spans from last year's bridge ramming incident.

[kellyhound]

i put my money on methane gas or C.O. build up and a lack of ventilation.

[houseoftechno]

Originally Posted by kellyhound ↗

i put my money on methane gas or C.O. build up and a lack of ventilation.

Looks like you won that bet, Kelly.

Here is a reference to a Coast Guard Marine Safety Alert issued on this topic:

Coal Marine Safety Alert

WJZ Investigates found the U.S. Coast Guard issued a Marine Safety Alert in February about the hazards of transporting coal on ships.

They posted pictures of the Anglo Marie Louise, a U.K.-flagged ship sailing from Baltimore last year.

It was also filled with coal and experienced multiple explosions while traveling along the Virginia coast.

The Coast Guard said dangerous methane gas built up in the hull and caused those blasts.

They found the coal was not stored properly and posed an immediate threat to everyone onboard.

[William May]

Originally Posted by zeb247 ↗

Baltimore seems to have ship issues.

No ship!!!

[ajs11961]

Originally Posted by houseoftechno ↗

Yeah. I just noticed: In the background of the cargo ship explosion vid are remaining bridge spans from last year's bridge ramming incident.

I remember Peedo Joe got on the news and said
he wasn't charging the wayward boat company and was going to fix the bride courtesy of US taxpayers.