Maryland Governor Wes Moore stated that the ship lost power before the collision.
– Then you can’t do anything, there is no brake on the ships and the only way to slow down is to reverse, says Hanna Odengrund who works as a pilot at the Swedish Maritime Administration.
The bridge collapse in Baltimore
The bridge collapse in Baltimore
The ship sent distress calls before the collision – was without power
– I think of the colleagues on board, it must be terrible to be a part of, she says.
The vessel was leaving port bound for Sri Lanka when it collided with a bridge support.
– It is a fairway that is straight and wide, but then it is a very large ship, says Marco Svantesson, who is head of VTS at the Swedish Maritime Administration and monitors sea traffic that goes under the Öresund Bridge.
Missing collision protection
The part of the bridge that collapsed is a so-called truss bridge.
– It is a more common construction in other countries than in Sweden, says Per-Ola Ekström who is a bridge designer at Sweco.
He also believes that it does not appear to be built with any kind of barrier to stop ships from driving into it.
– When you opt out of “collision protection”, the bridge is constructed in such a way that it can cope with one less support. It must be able to withstand being hit without collapsing, he says.
See the progress frame by frame in the clip.