Ship in Baltimore bridge collapse lost power hours before leaving port - report

Cargo ship experienced electrical outage 10 hours before departing then lost power again before collision, preliminary report says

Investigators examining the March collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore said in a preliminary report on Tuesday the cargo ship Dali experienced an electrical blackout about 10 hours before leaving the port of Baltimore while undergoing maintenance.

The power outage was caused by a crew member mistakenly closing an exhaust damper, causing the ship’s engine to stall, the report issued by the National Transportation Safety Board said. The ship lost power again and crashed into one of the bridge’s supporting columns shortly after leaving the port on 26 March, which brought the bridge down in seconds.