Maersk's "Dali" 10,000 TEU ship crashes into Baltimore bridge

Posted on March 27, 2024   |  

A major disaster strikes the US East Coast as Maersk's 10,000 TEU vessel "Dali" collides with a bridge in Baltimore, leading to its collapse.

The Baltimore City Fire Department declares the incident a mass casualty event.

The bridge collapse disrupts access to container terminals and other port facilities in Baltimore, impacting the handling of approximately 1.1 million TEU in 2023.

With an estimated 21,000 TEU per week now requiring rerouting, nearby ports must accommodate the redirected cargo.

The vessel "Dali" was part of the 2M service, known as TP12 by Maersk and Empire by MSC, with additional slots assigned to Zim on the ZBA service.

Scheduled container vessels, including "MSC Kumsal," "Maersk Gironde," and "Triton," face disruptions, prompting shippers to arrange alternative cargo handling plans.

Multiple merchant vessels, including bulk carriers, become stranded in the port of Baltimore, adding complexity to the situation and necessitating urgent resolution efforts.

Approximately 107 vessels are expected to divert from the Port of Baltimore in the coming weeks, impacting $80.8 billion trade handled in 2023.

Major corporations such as Amazon, FedEx, and BMW maintain distribution facilities near the port, contributing to regional freight operations.