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Container ship under the rubble of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore
Photo: Mark Schiefelbein / AP
According to official information, the crew of the container ship that rammed a four-lane car bridge in the US city of Baltimore sent out an emergency signal shortly before the collision. Maryland Governor Wes Moore said at a press conference that thanks to the emergency signal, officials were able to stop traffic to prevent more cars from getting onto the bridge.
On Tuesday night, a container ship rammed the four-lane car bridge - which then collapsed. At the time of the press conference, a search was underway for six missing people.
According to the crew, there was a problem with the electricity on the ship. Moore also confirmed this. There was initially no further information about the cause. However, the governor stressed that the preliminary investigation points to an accident.
The ship, which is operated by the charter company Synergy Group, was chartered by Maersk on a temporary basis, said a statement from the Danish logistics company Maersk. Cargo from Maersk customers is said to have been transported on it. According to the information, there were no Maersk crew or personnel on the ship. Maersk is the world's second largest container shipping company behind MSC.
kfr/dpa