When a controlled explosion rocked the Dali on Monday, nearly two dozen sailors remained aboard, safely hidden below decks in the giant ship’s hull.
Simultaneous explosions sent debris from Baltimore’s once iconic Francis Scott Key Bridge plunging into the dark waters of Maryland’s Patapsco River, seven weeks after the bridge collapsed, killing six people on board. and Dali was abandoned.
Authorities – and the crew – hope that the destruction will mark the beginning of the end of a long process that left the 21 people on board stranded and cut off from the world, far away. Their home is thousands of miles away.
But for now, it’s unclear when they can return home.
The Dali – a 948ft (289m) long container ship – was embarking on a 27-day journey from Baltimore to Sri Lanka when it crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge, sending thousands of tons of steel and cement into Patapsco. It left the ship trapped under a huge pile of scrap metal.
A preliminary NTSB report found that two power outages disabled equipment before the incident and noted that the ship lost power twice in the 10 hours leading up to the accident.
The crew, comprising 20 Indians and one Sri Lankan national, were unable to disembark because of visa restrictions, lack of mandatory shore permits and ongoing parallel investigations by the Security Commission. National Transportation Board (NTSB) and FBI.
On Monday, the crew remained on board even as authorities used small explosives to deliberately “cut” a wide section of the bridge located at the ship’s bow.
Before the controlled demolition, U.S. Coast Guard Adm. Shannon Gilreath said that the crew would be below deck with a fire department on standby.
“They are part of the ship,” Admiral Gilreath said. They are necessary to maintain the ship’s manpower and operations.” “They were the most responsive people on the ship.”
While the ship will likely be refloated this week, it remains unclear when it will be able to make the 2-nautical-mile (3.7 km) journey to port.
