#Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapse

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Wajahat Ali and Yusuf Zakir at The Left Hook:

If you listen to Donald Trump, Maga Republicans and lazy comedians, DEI is the modern-day villain. It’s a wicked and terrifying Trojan horse of wokeness that is seeking to “replace” Americans and indoctrinate our children with a subversive agenda. It’s allegedly orchestrated by transgender people, immigrants of color, Muslims, Black people, Jewish people and feminists – anyone that isn’t straight, white and Christian. According to the president-elect, the rest of us are “poisoning the blood of our country” and destroying it.

DEI is an easy, direct and convenient way to package all of these fears. If you fall for this narrative, it can be terrifying and feel unfair. Events such as the collapse of the Silicon Valley Bank, the problems with Boeing aircraft and the destruction of the Francis Scott Key bridge in Maryland were blamed on DEI. This was a con.

Instead of pointing to a corrupt system and deregulation that benefits the wealthy at the expense of many, DEI was seen as the culprit. The bad-faith talking point is that had DEI not existed, these tragedies would not have occurred and real Americans – who are not “woke” – would be safe and economically prosperous. Unfortunately, the deception works as companies such as McDonald’s announced this week that they are renouncing their previous commitment to DEI. It was just revealed that anti-DEI shareholder proposals have tripled since 2020. In reality, DEI refers to three simple but important words: diversity, equity and inclusion.

Diversity is an outcome. Equity is the path to get there. Inclusion ensures we travel that path together. Diversity represents varied identities and differences, including race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, disability and veteran status. That means white people, Black people, straight people, gay people, rich people, poor people and more. Equity is the allocation of resources and opportunities and the elimination of barriers to create a path towards equality. The concept of equity acknowledges that there is not a level playing field. Inclusion is creating an environment where everyone is welcome, respected, supported and valued. It is about bringing people together and creating safety and belonging. It is, by definition, the opposite of exclusion.

[...]

Several years later, we see that organizational commitment to DEI has waned. For example, in addition to McDonald’s, Harley-Davidson and Ford recently announced that they will curb some of their DEI efforts. With the continued rightwing political onslaught against DEI and Donald Trump’s election, this could be the moment when many organizations decide to pull the plug entirely. This would be a major mistake.

For organizations considering this decision, we would like to remind you that DEI impacts your talent lifecycle, your culture and your economic success in significant ways. We need to remind US workers about the benefits of DEI as we risk losing them entirely. First, companies have to find and recruit the best talent and as such they will naturally have to cast a very broad net. DEI encourages and helps this outreach. Talent is everywhere, not just among children of politicians, the privileged class or those lucky to attend Ivy League schools and live in wealthy zip codes. DEI encourages us to look beyond traditional (and often archaic) measurements of success, such as SAT scores, and consider the hidden jewels of talent that exist everywhere.

Second, because hiring is so expensive and time-consuming, DEI helps organizations try and retain their valued employees. Equity is a key component that recognizes everyone has different skill sets, talents, strengths and weaknesses. By recognizing this, addressing it and supporting it, DEI helps employees maximize their potential. Studies have repeatedly shown employees are more likely to stay when they feel like they can grow, advance and continue to break through glass ceilings. [...] Costco is an example worth following. Their board unanimously recommended that its shareholders reject a proposal that would require Costco to report on the risks of its diversity and inclusion goals. In making this recommendation, Costco noted that DEI efforts help the company attract and retain employees and improve its products and services. Those who make DEI into a bogeyman paint society as a zero-sum game: a slice for you means no slice for me. But, that is a narrow vision fueled by fear, greed and ignorance. Unlike Trump, DEI views America as generous and limitless. It’s in the best interest of corporations, organizations and US workers to adopt such a vision if we truly want to become great again as a nation.

Love this column in The Left Hook on why DEI makes businesses better, despite what right-wing polemics say otherwise (*cough* Robby Starbuck, Christopher Rufo, Elon Musk *cough*).

[alwaysbewoke]

[dreaming-shark]

I've spent all day fighting the urge to, like, defend the bridge itself? It didn't collapse 'cause it was badly made, it fell because a 200,000 ton cargo ship broke one of its legs.

Literally any bridge ever built would have buckled under those circumstances! Key Bridge was doing its best!

[reasoningdaily]

BBC: Baltimore: 'Mass casualty event' as bridge hit by ship collapses into river

There are divers being dispatched In hopes of saving some of those who are trapped in their vehicles from the bridge collapse.

[paulshishkoffjr]

NTSB makes it official! Ship that slammed into #FrancisScottKeyBridge blacked out twice before collision.

[fawadrz]

Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse

for detail https://shorturl.at/mvFWY

[cherryblossomshadow]

Lol i figured that something in this picture was doctored, but I thought it was a real quote with a photoshopped backdrop. Lo and behold, the scene really takes place in front of the Key bridge, but the dialogue is very different 😂

[odinsblog]

The crew of a massive container ship that crashed into the Francis Scott Key bridge in Baltimore early Tuesday warned of power issues before the collision, which caused the bridge to collapse into the frigid Patapsco River, officials said.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said the warning from the ship’s crew likely saved lives.

“We’re thankful that between the mayday and the collapse, that we had officials who were able to begin to stop the flow of traffic so more cars were not on the bridge,” Moore said. He called those officials heroes.

Moore noted that the bridge was up to code at the time of the collapse. He said the collapse was a “shocking and heartbreaking” event for the people of Maryland who have used the bridge for 47 years.

(continue reading)

[slyandthefamilybook]

okay because I'm seeing some misinfo, here's the story on the Key Bridge collapse

What was the Key Bridge?

The Francis Scott Key Bridge (also called the Key Bridge, the Beltway Bridge, and the Outer Harbor Crossing) was steel-arch continuous-through-truss bridge spanning the Patapsco River south of the Baltimore Harbor. The bridge took 5 years to build and cost an estimated $145 million ($735 million in today's dollars). The full bridge project (including approaches) was 10.9 miles long, but the stretch over the Patapsco was 1.6 miles long and 4 lanes wide, and comprised a length of I-695, the Baltimore Beltway. It traveled between Hawkins Point and Dundalk, and in addition to the I-895 Harbor Tunnel was the primary way for Marylanders to cross from the Eastern Shore to the West. The bridge carried an estimated 11.5 million vehicles per year. There is a lane for ships to pass under the Key Bridge with enough clearance.

Was it structurally sound?

The bridge received its latest inspection in 2022 and received a 6/9 score, which is considered "fair" by federal standards. There was a concern with one of its columns, which was downgraded from a health index of 77.8 to 65.9, but it is not clear yet if this was one of the columns struck by the ship. In 1980 the bridge was struck by a different cargo ship which destroyed a concrete support structure, but the bridge itself was unharmed. There is as of yet no evidence that the bridge collapsed because of poor condition. Experts say the lesson to be learned is about the size and weight of modern cargo ships, and that the bridge was not to blame. Engineers have noted, however, that the bridge's piers lacked protective devices such as fenders.

What was the ship?

The MV Dali is a container ship flying the Singapore flag. It is owned by Grace Ocean Private Ltd. and operated by Synergy Marine Group Ltd. The ship is currently being chartered by Maersk, a Dutch shipping company. It was built in 2015 by Hyundai. The ship is 980 feet long and 157 feet wide. The ship's gross tonnage (its internal volume) is 95,128 tons (190,256,000 pounds). Its deadweight (the weight of cargo it can carry) is 116,851 tons (233,702,000 pounds). The ship was carrying 3,000 containers. The engine is a MAN-B&W 9S90ME putting out 41,480 kilowatts (55,626 horsepower).

Over its lifetime the Dali has been inspected 27 times, and only 2 faults were ever found. On June 27, 2023 the Dali was held in port in Chile due to an issue with the propulsion system. According to an inspector the pressure gauges on the heating system were "unreadable". The fault was fixed before the ship left port.

The Dali is crewed by 22 Indian nationals including 2 maritime pilots.

What happened?

The Dali arrived at the Port of Baltimore on March 23, 2024. At 12:44 AM on March 26, 2024 the Dali left port, beginning its journey to Colombo, Sri Lanka. At 01:26 AM the ship suffered a "complete blackout" and began to drift out of the shipping lane. It is not yet known what caused the electrical failure. The backup generator did not power the propulsion system. At around 01:26 AM the crew of the Dali sent a mayday distress call to the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) informing them of the loss of power and that a collision with the Key Bridge was possible. The anchors were dropped as an emergency measure to attempt to slow or stop the vessel. At the request of one of the pilots traffic flow over the bridge was immediately halted. Black smoke was seen coming from the Dali, which experts believe was the result of the crew managing to restart the power system to regain some maneuvering capability.

At 01:28 AM the Dali, traveling at 8 knots (considered to be a fast speed) collided with a support strut beneath the Key Bridge's metal truss at the southwest end of the bridge. A Baltimore resident said he heard the collision and that it "felt like an earthquake". Emergency teams began receiving 911 calls at 01:30 AM, and the Baltimore Police Department were alerted at 01:35 AM. One of the officers present radioed that he was going to go onto the bridge to alert the construction crew as soon as a second officer arrived, but the bridge collapsed seconds later.

What was the damage?

The Key Bridge has completely collapsed. The metal truss relies on structural tension from the bridge itself to maintain its rigidity. As soon as one of the support columns was destroyed, the rest of the bridge quickly followed.

The damage to the Dali is reported as minimal. The ship was impaled by the bridge's structure above the waterline, but has maintained watertight integrity. The crew has not reported any water contamination from its 1.8 million gallons of marine fuel. 13 containers carrying potentially hazardous material were damaged, and are being inspected by a team of Coast Guard divers. At least 5 vehicles including 3 passenger cars and a cement mixer were detected underwater, but authorities do not believe they were occupied

Who was hurt?

The crew of the Dali reports no casualties, except one crewmember who was hospitalized for minor injuries. There was a crew of 8 construction workers on the Key Bridge filling in potholes. 2 were immediately pulled from the water by rescue crews, with 1 being rushed to emergency care and the other reporting minor injuries and refusing treatment. The hospitalized worker has since been discharged. 1 of those rescued was Mexican. The remaining 6 remain missing. Of those 6, 2 have been identified:

Miguel Luna from El Salvador

Maynor Yassir Suazo Sandoval from Honduras

Of the remaining 4, 2 are Guatemalan nationals. Neither have been identified, but the Guatemalan Foreign Affairs Ministry has stated that they were a 26-year-old from San Luis, Petén, and a 35-year-old from Camotán, Chiquimula. The other 2 are presumed to be Mexican.

Rescue Efforts

The Coast Guard was immediately deployed for search-and-rescue operations. Military Blackhawk helicopters were seen over the river. Rescue efforts were ended at 07:30 PM on March 26, 2024 due to darkness, fog, and cold temperatures. Rear Admiral Shannon Gilreath said "Based on the length of time that we've gone in the search, the extensive search efforts that we put into it, the water temperature -- at this point, we do not believe that we're going to find any of these individuals still alive". Recovery operations resumed at 07:30 AM on March 27, 2024 with all 6 workers presumed dead.

No divers have yet entered the water underneath the bridge. Supervisory Special Agent Brian Hudson of the FBI's Underwater Search and Evidence Response Team said "the debris field is pretty sizable and I know that’s why they’re hesitant to send divers down because some of the debris is still shifting, the heavy weight of the rocks". The FBI has deployed Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) equipped with cameras and SONAR.

Aftermath

At 05:08 AM on March 26, 2024 Transportation Secretary Pete Buttegiege posted on X (formerly Twitter):

"I’ve spoken with Gov. Moore and Mayor Scott to offer USDOT’s support following the vessel strike and collapse of the Francis Scott Key bridge. Rescue efforts remain underway and drivers in the Baltimore area should follow local responder guidance on detours and response."

At 07:30 AM on March 27, 2024 President of the Maryland State Senate Bill Ferguson posted on X (formerly Twitter):

"Over 15,000 in the Balt region rely on daily operations at Port of Baltimore to put food on the table. Today, with Del. @LukeClippinger and colleagues representing Port, we are drafting an emergency bill to provide for income replacement for workers impacted by this travesty."

At around 09:40 AM on March 26, 2024 Maryland Governor Wes Moore and Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott declared a State of Emergency to take effect at 10:30 AM March 26, 2024, and to last 30 days. Baltimore's Emergency Operations Plan was put into effect.

More than 1,000 personnel from the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) have been deployed to assist with clearing the debris and rebuilding efforts. President Joe Biden has pledged that the federal government will pay for the entire reconstruction of the bridge.

Jennifer Homendy, the chair of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has recovered the Dali's data recorder, and will be inspecting both the Key Bridge and the Dali to determine the cause of the crash and the collapse. She says the investigation could take up to 2 years to complete.

Was it intentional?

According to William DelBagno, head of the FBI's Baltimore field office: "There is no specific or credible information to suggest there are ties to terrorism in this incident".

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas said: "There are no indications this was an intentional act".

At least 3 people have been killed in accidents related to ships operated by Synergy in the past 6 years. In 2018 a person on board a Synergy ship in Australia was killed in an accident relating to the vessel's personnel elevator. In 2019 an officer aboard a Synergy vessel in Singapore fell overboard while performing maintenance. In 2023 at least one sailor was killed when a Synergy ship collided with a dredging ship in the Philippines. In the first two cases safety inspectors noted that proper safety procedures had not been adhered to.

Sources

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

[reality-detective]

An alternate angle on the Francis Scott Key Bridge shows what appears to be a large explosion, which you can see 👀 from the other angles I posted. Something reeks like a possible Black Swan Event?

Does it seem like a barge bumping into a pillar would cause the whole bridge to collapse? 🤔

[vmures]

Apparently, the ship managed to get out a mayday call and it helped workers and authorities to try to stop traffic from entering the bridge and to try to evacuate as many as they could. It was a short time frame, but that mayday definitely saved lives.

It is a horrific tragedy, but not all tragedies are because of some ridiculous conspiracy. Sometimes accidents are just that, accidents.

Please be careful when engaging with this news. The video is fucking terrifying. This is likely to be a mass casualty event. There are cars in the water.

This bridge is 1200 meters long. Even at 3:30 am, there are a lot of vehicles on it.

Fuck.

[destiel-news-network]

On the third anniversary of the Suez Canal incident, no less.

(Source)

[reasoningdaily]

Maryland: Ship hits Francis Scott Key Bridge causing it to collapse

[stormesandshowersparttwo]

[alwaysbewoke]