Singapore will launch a dual investigation into the Baltimore bridge collapse, in which a ship flying the city-state’s flag collided with an overpass in the US state of Maryland. Six construction workers are believed to have died in the accident.
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore said late on Wednesday that it would conduct an investigation to determine whether any rules under the country’s laws were violated because the ship Dali, which collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, was registered in Singapore.
As the administrator of Singapore-registered ships, the agency ensures that ships comply with international and national rules and regulations relating to maritime safety and security, protection of the marine environment, and social, living and working conditions on board.
Late on Wednesday, it was added that Singapore’s Transport Safety Investigation Bureau will conduct a separate investigation to draw lessons to prevent future maritime accidents and incidents. The bureau operates under the country’s Ministry of Transport.
“As a flag state, our officials will work closely with the US Coast Guard and its agencies to fully support the investigation,” Singapore’s Minister for Transport Chee Hong Tat said in a post on his Facebook page on Wednesday, adding: “My thoughts are with the people of Baltimore at this difficult time.”
The ship, the Dali, lost power as it left the port early on Tuesday and crashed into a bridge in Baltimore, sending vehicles and people into the river. The accident shut down the port of Baltimore, one of the busiest on the US east coast. Six people were reported missing following the incident.
The vessel is owned by Singapore-based Grace Ocean and operated by Synergy Marine, another company based in the city-state.
Synergy said the ship hit one of the bridge’s pillars, causing it to collapse. All 22 crew members on board were accounted for.
The Port of Singapore said earlier that Synergy had reported that the Dali experienced a “momentary loss of propulsion” just before the collision. As a result, it was unable to maintain its course and struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
The ship dropped its moorings as part of emergency procedures before hitting the bridge, the official said.
Ocean Network Express (ONE), a Japanese shipping company based in Tokyo and Singapore, told Nikkei Asia that it was temporarily suspending sailings to and from Baltimore due to the port closure.
ONE does not offer direct service to Baltimore, but provides intermodal shipping from Norfolk to Baltimore by truck. Intermodal shipping is the transportation of goods using different modes of transport, such as ship, truck and rail, on a single trip.
“Our dedicated cargo management team is currently reviewing all cargo in transit and scheduled shipments to and from the Baltimore area,” the statement said. “We are in direct contact with all potentially affected customers to discuss alternative route options.”
Chris Rogers, director of supply chain research at S&P Global Market Intelligence, said the outage would strain supply chains in the northeastern US, with some container and bulk cargo potentially diverted to nearby ports in Wilmington, Delaware, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Auto markets could be negatively affected
In a note published on Wednesday, Moody’s Analytics said the incident primarily affected the auto markets, as Baltimore is a major vehicle import hub, especially for the Asia-Pacific region’s largest auto exporters such as China and Japan.
“The coal market is also affected, with more than a quarter of US seaborne coal exports, which account for about 1.5 per cent of global coal trade, facing potential disruptions,” the note said.
“This could affect the dynamics of global coal trade, reminiscent of past shifts in supplier relationships due to geopolitical actions,” it said.
