Major bridge collapse in Baltimore

Worth its own thread:

Key Bridge collapses due to ship strike: MDTA

 

Just heard it was up to 20 people that are unaccounted for. Reminds me ok the Skyway collapse in Tampa in the 80s.

 

It was literally two days ago that I found myself in a YouTube rabbit hole of the 1980 Sunshine Skyeay disaster, which led me to a bridge disaster in Hobart, Tasmania, in I think the 1950s. One of my worst fears.

 

Everything about that is horrific. I'd hate to imagine plunging off a bridge like that trapped in a car.
When you are on a ship like that, the optics of going under a bridge are insane. Right up until the moment you are physically under it, it looks like you are going to hit. We always used to have fun with first timers going underneath the Cooper River Bridge in Charleston. But truthfully, you aren't even close. Bridges usually have markers and lights right over the channel, and there are always markers on the pilings to indicate distance from the surface of the water to the bridge based on the tide.
I assume they had a harbor pilot taking them out, and it wasn't just the crew.

 

The video makes it look to me like the ship was on fire and crashed up against the bridge. Which came first, I don't know, but I guess if the thing was on fire, and the crew was trying to put it out, that's the cause of the collision. Doesn't change anything for the people, but it makes more sense than someone just not paying attention.

Of course the twitter bots are in full force showing some bridge being blown up that clearly isn't the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

 

I remember when some people used to keep those metal batons in their cars to break your car window from the interior.

I guess that might start being a thing again.

 

This fire chief is out of central casting in terms of his Baltimore accent.

 

Used to live in Baltimore and drove the Key bridge regularly. I can't imagine how badly this is going to disrupt life in the metro area for years while a replacement bridge is built.

And of course my prayers are with those who went in the water and their families. What a nightmare.

 

The only thing I know about the port of Baltimore is what I learned on The Wire, but I know this: whichever side of the bridge a ship happens to be on right now is the side it's staying on for weeks.
The port is closed. Period. And from the looks of Google Maps, it's very busy.

Zooming in, it appears to be a major destination point for new cars coming in. There are acres and acres of new-appearing cars lined up to be loaded on trucks.

 

The long version of the video it seems like the ship loses power twice