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United States: the collapse of the Baltimore bridge at the heart of conspiracy theories
The day after the spectacular collapse of the Francis Scott Key highway bridge in Baltimore on the American east coast, the exact causes of the accident linked to an electrical fault on the ship which struck the building remain to be determined. Although there is currently no credible evidence of a deliberate attack, the conspiracy theory of an attack is omnipresent on social networks. These fallacious allegations are based in particular on misappropriated images and erroneous analyses.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge after being struck by a boat, March 26, 2024. via REUTERS - HARFORD COUNTY MD FIRE & EMS
By: Olivier Fourt Follow | Grégory Genevrier Follow
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The images recorded by a webcam and broadcast live online went around the world. Around 1:30 a.m. local time, the container ship MV-Dali, 300 meters long and 48 meters wide, flying the Singaporean flag, struck a pile, a pillar, of the Francis Scott Key bridge located in the port of Baltimore. In a handful of seconds, the imposing metal structure, 2.6 kilometers long, collapsed like a house of cards. Six people, working on the bridge at the time of the incident, are now missing and presumed dead.
🚨United States
Baltimore: a 2.5 km long bridge collapses after being hit by a container ship.
Vehicles were on the bridge at the time of impact pic.twitter.com/fxpTzKx6NG
— François Beaudonnet 🌎 (@beaudonnet) March 26, 2024
The authorities quickly ruled out a malicious act. “
There is absolutely no indication that this was a terrorist act
,” said local police chief Richard Worley. Maryland Governor Wes Moore also said there is “
no credible evidence of a terrorist attack
.” Before the impact, the crew had time to send a distress message, which allowed local authorities to block traffic on the bridge.
At the same time, the narrative of a “
deliberate attack
” is gaining popularity on social media. This conspiracy theory is based in particular on a video of around fifteen seconds, viewed hundreds of thousands of times and in which we see an explosion damaging a bridge. Internet users claim that this is a “
view of the Baltimore bridge collapse from the inside
.”
Please note, this video is taken out of context.
Baltimore Bridge collapse view from the inside. pic.twitter.com/ZiFaKvIK1i
— Remington Ph.D (@DrRemingtonPHD) March 26, 2024
In fact, we know through a reverse image search that this video shows a missile strike on the Kerch Bridge in Crimea. The scene, shared at the time in the media, took place in October 2022, well before the collapse of the Baltimore bridge.
What the ship's trajectory says
Beyond this dated video, some claim that the trajectory of the cargo ship proves that the impact was intentional. A theory dismantled by several specialists on social networks. Their analyzes show that navigation in ports is always tricky, especially for container ships of this size. When everything goes well, they face two major difficulties. The phenomenon of inertia which makes it extremely difficult to stop a ship of this mass when it is launched. And the wind resistance, which means that a ship whose cargo can reach a height of around twenty stories high, can dangerously drift if the gusts blow sideways. In the case of the Baltimore accident, Loïc Guermeur, himself a former member of the French Navy and author specializing in naval issues, underlines that a “
total electrical failure in a port is the dread of every navigator
”.
#baltimorebridge
Well, you've all seen these images that have been circulating since this morning. The Dali container ship, 300x48m, hit the Key Bridge in Baltimore this morning.
What happened is the dread of every sailor: a total electrical failure in a port.#Thread pic.twitter.com/xIRyqpet5F
— Loïc Guermeur 🌊⚓️🔱🌐🏉 (@CapHornier_) March 26, 2024
He explains with a number of technical details that the crew is faced with a double bind. As a general rule: you need a relatively high speed for the rudder to remain effective and allow you to change course. Whereas in the case of bar damage, it will be necessary to urgently reverse course, which amounts to changing the direction of rotation of the propeller. This brutal maneuver at full throttle (as evidenced by the massive exhaust of combustion smoke) will induce a movement starting from the rear of the boat. “
When you beat astern very hard, the bottom goes to the left, and the front of the ship to the right
,” specifies the expert.
This explains the last movements of the ship before the return of electricity on board and too late recovery of the helm which led to the dramatic collision. It was these seemingly incomprehensible but entirely explainable changes of course that fueled conspiracy theories in the hours following the accident.
Flames visible on the bridge before the collapse?
On a video viewed millions of times in recent days, we see flashes of light resembling small explosions, at the upper level of the structure, just before it collapses. Some people wrongly see this as proof of “
a terrorist attack
”.
🚨🇺🇸 Baltimore Bridge
Holy crap
Let's see what all the Engineers have to say about this then….
Why would there be flames - surely metal & concrete don't spontaneously combust - obviously there would be sparks via friction? pic.twitter.com/RuXbAdkJB7
— Concerned Citizen (@BGatesIsaPyscho) March 26, 2024
These flames can be explained by the presence on the bridge of one or more electrical lines used to power the lighting devices, or marker lights, intended to make the bridge visible and mark its high points. As the structure began to deform, these lines broke, causing the surrounding air to arc and ignite. We can also see the marker lights in operation before the impact.
The bridge has at least three marker lights. © Screenshots/RFI montage
Flood of wild rumors
Numerous rumors without proof of foreign involvement have also been widely relayed by influencers with a large following on social networks. Some notably linked this accident to the abstention of the United States a day earlier at the UN Security Council on a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
Examples of publications evoking the conspiracy theory of an attack committed by Israel. © Screenshots X/ RFI Montage
The jihadist group Islamic State (IS) is also singled out in several comments, reports Agence France Presse. Conspiracy theories shared without any proof.
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