Distress signal from ship before U.S. bridge collapse; detailed analysis of route

In an accident in which a large ship collided with a bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, in the eastern United States, the bridge collapsed, and it was revealed that the ship had sent out a distress signal before the accident.

Authorities say they were able to prevent many cars from being involved in the accident by restricting traffic on the bridge after receiving the distress call.

In an accident that occurred in the early hours of the 26th in Baltimore, the largest city in Maryland, in the eastern United States, a large cargo ship collided with the piers of a bridge, causing the bridge to collapse and killing six of the eight workers on the bridge. He was reported missing, and authorities called off rescue efforts as his chances of survival were low.

The governor said at a press conference on the 26th that prior to the accident, the ship had sent out a distress signal alerting those around it that the ship had lost power and was in a dangerous situation.

The bridge is a major traffic route, with approximately 30,000 vehicles passing through it each day, but authorities responded to the distress call by restricting vehicle traffic, saying they were able to avoid many cars being involved in accidents. is.

Analysis based on ship location information

Location information of the ship heading to the pier (video)

In addition, when NHK analyzed the location information transmitted by the ship, it was found that the ship had changed direction approximately three minutes before the accident and was sailing toward the pier.

The ship left the wharf on the north side of the bridge at 12:44 a.m. on the 26th, turned to the left, headed out of the bay, and took a course southeast.

Immediately before the accident: Off course to the south

Approximately 40 minutes later, at 1:27 a.m., it deviated to the south from its previous course, then slowed down, veered off course, and stopped moving around a bridge pier at around 1:30 a.m. You can check.

Ship position information on a nautical chart (video)

Under these circumstances, the ship may have lost control for some reason and collided with the pier, and the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has set up a specialized team to investigate the detailed cause of the accident.