On Monday, crews detonated a network of linked explosives to destroy the largest remaining span collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, and the steel section crashed into the water in a matter of seconds.
The explosives flashed orange and released clouds of black smoke upon detonation. The longest trusses broke away from the landing container ship Dali and slid off its bow, sending a wall of water back toward the ship.
It was a major step in freeing the ship, which has been stuck in the wreckage since it lost power and crashed into one of the bridge’s supports shortly after leaving Baltimore on March 26. The destroyed span crashed onto the bow of the ship and has been left to rest on its deck for the past six weeks.
The collapse killed six construction workers and halted much shipping traffic through the busy port of Baltimore. The controlled demolition will allow Dali to be refloated and traffic through the port will be restored as the cleanup enters its final stages.
Once the vessel is removed, maritime traffic could begin to return to normal, bringing relief to thousands of longshoremen, truckers and small business owners whose jobs have been impacted by the closures.
Officials previously said Dali’s 21-member crew would take shelter aboard the ship while the explosives were detonated.
In a video released this week, authorities said engineers used precise cuts to monitor the collapse of the trusses. They said the method provides “surgical precision” and is one of the safest and most effective ways to remove high-stress steel.
The next step is to use hydraulic clamps to lift the resulting sections of steel onto barges.
Crew members of the Dali were not allowed to leave the grounded ship after the disaster. Officials said they were busy maintaining the ship and assisting investigators. Of the crew members, 20 are from India and one is from Sri Lanka.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the FBI are investigating the bridge collapse.
Danish shipping giant Maersk chartered the Dali for a planned voyage from Baltimore to Sri Lanka, but the ship didn’t make it far. Its crew issued a distress call, saying they had lost power and could not control the steering system. A few minutes later the ship crashed into the bridge.
Officials said the Security Council investigation will focus on ship’s electrical system.