A massive container ship lost power near New York City’s Verrazzano Bridge on Saturday, less than two weeks after a cargo ship crashed into Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge.
The container ship APL Qingdao, weighing a staggering 89,000 tons, lost propulsion around 8:30 p.m. while passing through New York Harbor.
The freighter Dali, which crashed into one of the supports of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, sending the 8,635′ Baltimore Bridge into the water, had also lost propulsion before the accident.
The APL Qingdao, registered in Malta, failed to cross the Kill Van Kull Waterway, a narrow shipping route between Staten Island and Bayonne, New Jersey.
The Kill Van Kull is three miles long and delimits Newark Bay from Upper New York Bay. It is one of the busiest waterways in the area.
The APL Qingdao, photographed “just north” of the Verrazzano Bridge, lost its propulsion while crossing the Kill Van Kull waterway on Saturday.
The Qingdao, which weighs 89,000 tons and is registered in Malta, floated disconcertingly close to the bridge that links Brooklyn to Staten Island.
The incident came just weeks after the tragedy in Baltimore in which a shipping container crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge, killing six people.
An image shared on
Konrad wrote that the ship was “just north” of the bridge connecting Brooklyn and Staten Island.
After the power outage was observed on the Qingdao, three tugboats rushed to its aid and attempted to control the gigantic shipping container.
A Coast Guard spokesperson told New York Mail They received a report of the errant shipping container around 8:30 p.m.
“The New York Coast Guard Vessel Traffic Service received a report from the M/V Qingdao around 8:30 pm on Saturday that the vessel had experienced a loss of propulsion in the Kill Van Kull waterway.” .
The spokesman added that “the vessel regained propulsion and was assisted by tugs to Stapleton Anchorage.”
According boatfinder.comthe Qingdao is 12 years old and is operated by the French transport and logistics company CMA CGM.
The 1,100-foot-long shipping container is owned by a French logistics company and was headed to Charleston, South Carolina.
The incident occurred in the Kill Van Kull Waterway, a thin strip of water that separates Newark Bay from Upper New York Bay. The strait is often filled with shipping containers; Pictured: a ship sailing through New York Bay
The Qingdao is 12 years old and was escorted from port by three tugboats; in the photo: information about the ownership of the boat
Before the container could resume its journey, the Coast Guard required that the ship’s propulsion system show certification that it had been restored.
They also had to demonstrate that the system was fully operational.
In addition to these requirements, the crew was ordered to conduct a thorough casualty report, which sorted out what exactly contributed to the loss of propulsion.
Once they finished the report, the giant shipping container was allowed to continue its journey to Charleston, South Carolina.
Although Saturday’s incident did not cause any damage, the image of the huge container hidden near a bridge evoked unpleasant memories of the calamity in Baltimore just weeks earlier.
On March 26, the freighter Dali crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing the structure to collapse.
It is presumed that six people died in the destruction and the body of the third victim was recovered yesterday.
According to John Konrad, incidents of power outages on shipping containers such as the Dali and Qingdao are increasing.
Less than two weeks earlier, tragedy struck Baltimore when a shipping container, which also lost its propulsion, crashed into a vital bridge; In the photo: the aftermath of the accident in Baltimore.
The Dalí crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing it to fall; Pictured: The twisted metal of the fallen bridge.
It is presumed that six people died in the accident that occurred in Baltimore. Yesterday the body of the third victim was recovered
Konrad claimed that the Verrazzano was saved from the fate of the Baltimore bridge due to the presence of Vessel Traffic Services in New York.
“A major difference between Baltimore and New York is that the United States Coast Guard operates the Vessel Traffic Service in New York.”
The maritime trade expert further explained that ‘VTS is like air traffic control. “They monitor all ships and tugs and can respond quickly to emergencies.”
“Baltimore had no VTS service.”