Bridge collapse in Baltimore: Indian crew to remain on board till investigation concludes

April 3 :
Ships tasked with debris collection from the Baltimore area after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse have been given a temporary alternate route by the US Coast Guard. Reestablishing access to the principal marine route serving the crucial port is a multi-stage process, one of which includes this precaution. A number of tugboats and barges that became stuck in the Port of Baltimore as a result of the event will likely use this passage to pass through.

The gradual restoration of the major shipping channel, which is essential to the port's operation, is the principal objective as teams work on the complex task of debris clearance. Vessels involved in debris clearance are the primary users of the temporary channel at the moment. Additionally, it provides a place for barges and tugs that have been stuck in the Port of Baltimore ever since the terrible event.

The governor of Maryland, Wes Moore, has called for the immediate restoration of shipping lines and the rescue of any survivors of the fall. He emphasised how difficult it would be to recover from the wreckage, calling it "chaotic."

Moore said at a news conference that the SBA's Disaster Relief Declaration was also authorised by the Biden-Harris administration. We still have a ways to go, but I can't thank this team and everyone else involved enough for all their hard work.

The eleven-foot depth of the temporary canal was carefully considered by the mayor to provide enough room for the marine traffic that would be participating in the cleanup effort, both horizontally and vertically.

Significant progress has been achieved in removing a lot of the bridge rubble. The removal of a 200-ton span by a big crane marked a critical milestone in the protracted recovery operation, marking an important advancement. One of the few people who have kept in touch with the crew is Joshua Messick, who is the executive director of the Baltimore International Seafarers' Centre. He said the crew was "rattled" and quite reluctant to talk about what happened as the incident is still under investigation. "They're not saying much at all to anyone who has been in touch with them,"

They had no idea how the rest of the globe saw them until Saturday, when WiFi finally arrived. Someone was either blaming them or demonising them; they couldn't tell. His explanation was that they were unprepared. Their position is equally delicate. Their words have the potential to represent the organisation. For the moment, I think they've been told to stay out of the spotlight," Messick remarked.