A massive container ship lost power near the Verrazzano Bridge in New York, less than two weeks after a cargo ship crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.
The 89,000-ton container ship APL Qingdao lost propulsion around 8:30 p.m. while passing through New York Harbor.
The freighter Dali, which slammed into one of the Francis Scott Key’s deck supports, plunging the 8,635-foot Baltimore Bridge into the water, had also lost propulsion before the accident.
The Malta-registered APL Qingdao sank while crossing the Kill Van Kull Waterway, a narrow shipping route between Staten Island and Bayonne, New Jersey.
The Kill Van Kull is three miles long and marks the boundary of Newark Bay from Upper New York Bay. It is one of the busiest waterways in the region.
The APL Qingdao, pictured “just north” of the Verrazzano Bridge, lost propulsion while crossing the Kill Van Kull Waterway on Saturday.
The Qingdao, which weighs 89,000 tons and is registered in Malta, was floating disconcertingly close to the bridge that connects Brooklyn to Staten Island.
The incident occurred just weeks after the Baltimore tragedy in which a shipping container crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge, killing six people.
An image shared on X.com, formerly Twitter, by John Konrad, chief executive of maritime-themed news organization gCaptain, showed the 1,100-foot-long container ship floating disconcertingly near the Verrazzano Bridge.
Konrad wrote that the ship was “just north” of the bridge that connects Brooklyn and Staten Island.
After the Qingdao’s power outage was noticed, three tugboats rushed to its aid and sought to bring the gigantic shipping container under control.
A Coast Guard spokesperson told the New York Post that they received a report about the errant shipping container around 8:30 p.m.
“New York Coast Guard Vessel Traffic Services received a report from the M/V Qingdao at approximately 8:30 p.m. Saturday that the vessel had experienced a loss of propulsion in the Kill Van Kull Waterway.”
The spokesperson added that “the vessel resumed propulsion and was assisted to Stapleton Anchorage by tugboats.”
According to shipfinder.com, the Qingdao is 12 years old and is operated by French shipping and logistics company CMA CGM.
The 1,100-foot-long shipping container is owned by a French logistics company and was headed to Charleston, South Carolina.
The incident occurred in the Kill Van Kull Waterway, a thin strip of water that separates Newark Bay from Upper New York Bay. The strait is often full of shipping containers; pictured: a ship crossing New York Bay
The Qingdao is 12 years old and was escorted from port by three tugs; in the photo: information regarding the ownership of the vessel
Before the shipping container could resume its journey, the Coast Guard required the ship’s propulsion system to submit certification that it had been restored.
They also had to demonstrate that the system was fully operational.
In addition to these requirements, the crew was ordered to complete a detailed casualty report, which will help determine what exactly contributed to the loss of propulsion.
Once the report was completed, the giant shipping container was cleared to continue its journey to Charleston, South Carolina.
Although Saturday’s incident caused no damage, the image of the massive shipping container lurking near a bridge brought back bad memories of the calamity that occurred in Baltimore a few weeks earlier.
On March 26, the freighter Dali crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing the structure to collapse.
Six people were reportedly killed in the destruction, and yesterday the body of the third victim was found.
According to John Konrad, power outage incidents in shipping containers like the Dali and Qingdao are increasing.
Less than two weeks earlier, tragedy struck Baltimore when a shipping container, which also lost propulsion, crashed into a vital bridge; in the photo: the consequences of the accident in Baltimore
The Dali crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing it to collapse; in the photo: the twisted metal of the fallen bridge
The Baltimore accident reportedly left six people dead. Yesterday, the body of the third victim was found
Konrad claimed that the Verrazzano was spared the fate of the Baltimore Bridge because of the presence of Vessel Traffic Services in New York.
“A major difference between Baltimore and New York is that the U.S. Coast Guard operates a vessel traffic service in New York.”
The maritime trade expert further explained that “VTS is like air traffic control. They monitor all ships and tugs and can respond quickly to emergencies.
“Baltimore didn’t have VTS service.”
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