Cargo ship explosion near Baltimore Bridge collapse site

A blast occurred on board the W-Sapphire, a Liberian-registered cargo ship traveling to Port Louis, Mauritius. The incident took place in the Patapsco River, close to the site where Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed in March 2024.

According to the Baltimore Fire Department, no injuries were reported, and all 23 crew members were safe. The ship, which is 751 feet long, remained afloat and was guided by tugboats to an anchorage area. Officials said the vessel showed signs of both fire and an explosion, and the Coast Guard has started an investigation.

Videos shared online showed smoke rising from the ship, which was built in 2012. Witnesses also described the moment of the blast. One of them, Jay Steinmetz, who was on a nearby sailboat, told WTTG-TV: “We heard a huge explosion. At first, I thought they were demolishing the bridge, but then I saw a 200-foot plume of smoke above the ship.”

The cause of the explosion is still unknown. For safety, the Coast Guard has set up a 2,000-yard safety zone around the area.

This incident comes just over a year after the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which killed six construction workers when the container ship Dali struck a pier.

The collapse disrupted supply chains as ships could not access the Port of Baltimore, a major hub for car imports and exports, and one of the top 20 busiest container ports in the United States.

The bridge collapse was the deadliest in the U.S. in more than a decade. Officials estimate the replacement bridge will cost $1.7 billion and should be completed by 2028, though demolition work is still ongoing and expected to take nine months.

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