Bridge Collapse Accident Featured Image Credit: Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images
The passengers on The Dali, which collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge, have been stuck for several weeks.
The latest news, seven weeks after a cargo ship collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge, discloses that the crew members of the ship are still on board.
On March 26, during the early hours, The Dali collided with the Baltimore bridge, causing the 2,632 meter-long bridge to collapse into the water below. Tragically, six construction workers lost their lives in the incident.
The city was shaken to its foundation by the crisis, as the bridge linked Baltimore and Dundalk.
Timelapse of Baltimore bridge crash
The Key Bridge construction began in 1972 and finished five years later. It used to be an important part of Baltimore, but now most of it is underwater in the Patapsco River.
The crew of The Dali shockingly continue to stay on board, even though it has been nearly two months since the tragic incident.
The ship holds 21 men, with 20 being Indians and one being a Sri Lankan citizen. They are currently far away from their homes, and it is uncertain when they will be released.
The ship was on its journey from Baltimore to Sri Lanka when a tragic incident occurred. The Dali suddenly lost power and collided with one of the pillars of the bridge.
The ship crashed into Key Bridge in the early hours of March 26. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
A section of the bridge fell onto the boat, but on Monday, the US Army Corps of Engineers used controlled explosions to clear some of the debris from The Dali, hoping to refloat the ship in the future.
The large vessel is currently located only 3.7km from Baltimore's port. However, the exact date for when they will try to relocate it has not been disclosed yet.
The crew won't move even if the ship does.
BBC News reports that the reason for this is due to visa restrictions, a shortage of necessary shore passes, and simultaneous ongoing investigations by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and FBI.
The crew members' phones were reportedly seized by the FBI as part of the ongoing investigation.
Joshua Messick, the head of the Baltimore International Seafarers' Center, recently discussed the challenges that the crew is currently experiencing after being stranded without their personal devices. He described it as a ‘unfortunate circumstance'.
Controlled explosions around the ship were carried out on May 13. (ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty Images)
He mentioned that they are unable to do online banking, pay bills at home, access any data, or contact anyone, leaving them feeling isolated.
They are unable to contact the people they want to, or see photos of their kids before bedtime. It's a very unfortunate circumstance.
According to The Independent, Darrell Wilson from Synergy Marine Group mentioned that the 21 men were provided with brand new cell phones to use.
However, it currently remains unclear why the devices were seized. It's also unknown when the 21 individuals will be able to leave the ship.
