Collapsed span of Baltimore Key Bridge collapses with boom after crews set off chain of explosives

BALTIMORE — Crews set off a chain of carefully placed explosives Monday to shatter the largest remaining span of Baltimore’s collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge, and with a boom and a splash, the mangled steel trusses crashed into the river in below.

The explosives flashed orange and released plumes of black smoke as they detonated.

The longer trusses moved away from the grounded container ship Dali and slid off its bow, sending a wall of water splashing toward the ship.

It’s a major step in freeing the Dali, stuck among rubble since losing power and crashing into one of the bridge’s support columns shortly after leaving Baltimore on March 26 .

The collapse killed six construction workers and halted most shipping traffic through Baltimore’s busy port.

The controlled demolition will refloat the Dali and restore traffic to the port, providing relief to thousands of longshoremen, truckers and small business owners who have seen their jobs affected by the closure.

Authorities said the detonation went as planned.

They said the next step in the dynamic cleaning process would be to assess the few remaining trusses on the Dali’s bow and ensure none of the underwater wreckage prevents the ship from being refloated and moved.

“It’s kind of like peeling an onion,” said Lt. Gen. Scott Spellmon of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Authorities plan to refloat the ship in the coming days. Then, three or four tugboats will guide it to a terminal near the port. It will likely remain there for several weeks and undergo temporary repairs before being transferred to a shipyard for more extensive repairs.

“It was a very important step in our progress,” said Col. Estee Pinchasin, Baltimore District commander for the Army Corps of Engineers, immediately after the demolition. She said crews do not anticipate having to use more explosives.

The Dali’s crew remained on board the ship during the detonation, and no injuries or problems were reported, said Capt. David O’Connell, Baltimore’s port commander.

Crew members have not been allowed to leave the stranded ship since the disaster. Officials said they were busy maintaining the vessel and assisting investigators. Among the crew members, 20 are from India and one is Sri Lankan.

Engineers spent weeks preparing to use explosives to shatter the span, which was about 500 feet long and weighed up to 600 tons. The demolition was postponed on Sunday due to storms.

“This is a best practice,” Gov. Wes Moore said at a news conference Monday, noting that there have been no injuries during the cleanup to date. “Safety in this operation is our top priority.”

Fire crews were stationed in the area during the explosion in case of problematic sparks, officials said.

In a video released this week, authorities said engineers used precision cuts to control truss failure. They said the method allows for “surgical precision” and is one of the safest and most effective ways to remove steel under a high level of tension. Hydraulic grippers will now lift the broken steel sections onto barges.

The National Transportation Safety Board and the FBI are investigating the bridge collapse. Officials said the safety board’s investigation would focus on the ship’s electrical system.

Danish shipping giant Maersk had chartered the Dali for a planned voyage from Baltimore to Sri Lanka, but the ship did not go far. Its crew sent a distress call indicating they had lost power and had no control over the steering system. A few minutes later, the ship hit the bridge.

State and federal officials praised rescue crews and other members of the cleanup operation who helped recover the remains of the six construction workers.

The last body was found in the underwater wreckage last week. All of the victims were Latino immigrants who came to the United States to find work. They were filling potholes during their night shift when the bridge was destroyed.

Officials said the operation remained on track to reopen the port’s 50-foot-deep channel by the end of May. In the meantime, crews have established a slightly shallower temporary channel. Authorities said 365 commercial ships had passed through the port in recent weeks. The port normally handles more cars and agricultural equipment than any other port in the country.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Baltimore native whose father and brother served as mayor decades ago, compared the Key Bridge disaster to the nighttime bombing of Baltimore’s Fort McHenry, which long inspired Francis Scott Key to write “The Star-Spangled Banner” during the War of 1812. She said both are testaments to Maryland’s resilience.

Pelosi, a Democrat who represents California’s 11th District, attended Monday’s news conference with two of her close associates. She praised the collective response to the tragedy, as various government agencies came together, working quickly without sacrificing safety.

“Proof all night that our flag was still there,” she said. “That’s the strength of Baltimore.”