Baltimore bridge collapse: Two possible causes for catastrophe

Published

1 year ago

March 26, 2024

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In an instant, a large section of the Francis Scott Key Bridge was gone – as dozens of its steel beams collapsed into the water after being hit by a cargo ship.

But how could such a catastrophe have happened?

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What do we know about bridge and the ship that hit it?

Emergency services are still at the scene and details about casualties are still emerging.

Sky News has spoken to a number of maritime and engineering experts to try and understand what might have happened – and what issues may have been at play.

Was human error to blame?

Professor Helen Sampson, an expert at the Seafarers International Research Centre at Cardiff University, says the crash may have been caused by someone’s mistake.

She told Sky News: “Was there some sort of miscommunication or misunderstanding between the pilot and the crew? Or was there a pilot error?”

The time of day when the disaster occurred – around 1.30am local time – gives rise to concerns about tiredness, she added.

“The time makes me also wonder whether there was an element of fatigue at play…

“It’s almost always the case that we focus on human error at the individual level, it’s almost always the case that there’s a broader context which has resulted in that human error, like fatigue and the demands made on pilots or on crews.”

What about a mechanical problem?

However, another maritime safety expert says the “most likely” cause of the crash was a failure in the ship’s machinery.

David McFarlane, director of Maritime Risk and Safety Consultants Ltd, told Sky News: “The first thing that springs to my mind is: was there a sudden fault with the ship’s engines or the steering gear?”

Mr McFarlane said a human error was less likely because of the number of people who would have been on duty.

“There should be no room for one-person errors because one of the other people should jump in and say ‘hang on’,” he said.

“The most likely cause of this is a failure in machinery or steering gear, but we just won’t know until the authorities have been on board. And even then, they’re unlikely to say what’s been going on for some considerable time.”

Prof Sampson said a mechanical failure with the steering gear or something similar would be the “most dramatic” explanation for what happened.

Officials have confirmed the ship that crashed into the bridge had issued a mayday call and had lost power.

Was there a design flaw in the bridge?

Opened in 1977, the Francis Scott Key Bridge is named after the poet who wrote the words to the Star Spangled Banner, the American national anthem.

Constructed from steel, it was 1.6 miles long and not dissimilar to some bridges in the UK, one expert told Sky News.

Julian Carter, a structural and civil engineering expert, said these structures are simple in concept – but “very weak” at certain points.

“It’s what we call a continuous structure every little piece is connected to another – and unfortunately it’s a catastrophic collapse.”

Professor Barbara Rossi, an expert in engineering science at the University of Oxford, said the impacting force of the cargo ship must have been “immense” to lead to the collapse of the concrete structures underpinning the bridge.

“We should not speculate around if such huge impact forces should have been taken into account at the design stage,” she added.

There has also been discussion about whether “dolphins” (steel structures embedded in the seabed to stop or divert a ship) or artificial islands may have been inadequate.

Bridge designer Robert Benaim said: “I do not know what the arrangements were for this bridge but major bridges over shipping lanes must have substantial protection for piers or columns.”

He added: “If piers are not protected adequately then they are vulnerable to ship collision. Clearly the protection of the piers in this instance was inadequate. A pier or column of a bridge could never resist the impact of a large ship. They must be protected from collision.”

US

Five soldiers injured in shooting at US Army base in Georgia

Published

5 hours ago

August 6, 2025

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Five soldiers injured in shooting at US Army base in Georgia

Five soldiers have been injured in a shooting at an army base in the US – with authorities placing the location in “lockdown”.

“The installation was locked down at 11.04am and law enforcement is on the scene,” the Fort Stewart base in Georgia wrote on Facebook.

It said the incident took place at the 2nd Armoured Brigade Combat Team area and casualties had been reported.

The gunman has been arrested and there is “no active threat to the community”, the base added.

“The incident remains under investigation and no additional information will be released until the investigation is complete,” it said. The lockdown was lifted at 12.10pm local time.

Governor Brian Kemp said he and his family were “saddened by today’s tragedy”.

“We are keeping the victims, their families, and all those who answer the call to serve in our hearts and prayers, and we ask that Georgians everywhere do the same,” he wrote on X.

Fort Stewart is around 25 miles (362km) southeast of Atlanta and is the largest US Army base east of the Mississippi River. It houses thousands of soldiers assigned to the army’s 3rd Infantry Division and their family members.

The fort’s three schools, which have nearly 1,400 students, were also placed under lockdown. Three schools outside the base also took steps similar to a lockdown “out of an abundance of caution”.

Donald Trump has been briefed on the shooting and the US president is monitoring the situation, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a post on X.

US

RFK Jr announces US is scrapping $500m of vaccine projects

Published

17 hours ago

August 6, 2025

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RFK Jr announces US is scrapping 0m of vaccine projects

America’s vaccine-sceptic health secretary has announced $500m (£375.8m) worth of cuts to their development in the country.

The US health department is cancelling contracts and pulling funding for jabs to fight viruses like COVID-19 and the flu, it was announced on Tuesday.

Robert F Kennedy Jr, known as RFK Jr, said 22 projects developing mRNA vaccines will be halted. It is the latest in a series of decisions to reduce US vaccine programmes.

The health secretary has fired the panel that makes vaccine recommendations, reduced recommendations for COVID-19 shots, and refused to endorse vaccines despite a worsening measles outbreak.

RFK Jr claims the US will now prioritise “safer, broader vaccine strategies, like whole-virus vaccines and novel platforms that don’t collapse when viruses mutate”.

Responding to the announcement of cuts, Mike Osterholm, a University of Minnesota expert on infectious diseases and pandemic preparations, said: “I don’t think I’ve seen a more dangerous decision in public health in my 50 years in the business.”

Dr Paul Offit, a vaccine expert at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, said RFK Jr’s move was short-sighted and that mRNA vaccines “certainly saved millions of lives”, including during the pandemic.

MRNA vaccines work by delivering a snippet of genetic code into the body that triggers an immune response, rather than introducing a real version of the virus.

According to the UK Health Security Agency, the “leading advantage of mRNA vaccines is that they can be designed and produced more quickly than traditional vaccines”.

Moderna, which was studying a combo mRNA shot that can tackle COVID and flu for the US health department, previously said it believed mRNA could speed up production of flu jabs compared with traditional vaccines.

Scientists are also exploring how mRNA could be used in cancer immunotherapies and in other illnesses.

At the White House earlier this year, billionaire tech entrepreneur Larry Ellison praised mRNA for its potential to treat cancer.

RFK Jr touts ‘effective’ alternative

The health department said the abandoned mRNA projects signal a “shift in vaccine development priorities.”

“Let me be absolutely clear, HHS supports safe, effective vaccines for every American who wants them,” Mr Kennedy said in a statement.

Later, he said work is underway on an alternative – a “universal vaccine” that mimics “natural immunity”.

“It could be effective – we believe it’s going to be effective – against not only coronaviruses, but also flu,” he said.

US

Bill and Hillary Clinton subpoenaed in Jeffrey Epstein probe

Published

17 hours ago

August 6, 2025

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Bill and Hillary Clinton subpoenaed in Jeffrey Epstein probe

The US House Oversight Committee has issued subpoenas for depositions with former president Bill Clinton and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton relating to the sex trafficking investigation into Jeffrey Epstein.

The Republican-controlled committee also subpoenaed the Justice Department for files relating to the paedophile financier, as well as eight former top law enforcement officials.

Donald Trump has denied prior knowledge of Epstein‘s crimes, claiming he ended their relationship a long time ago.

The US president has repeatedly tried to draw a line under the Justice Department’s decision not to release a full accounting of the investigation, but politicians from both major political parties, as well as many in Mr Trump’s political base, have refused to drop their interest in the Epstein files.

Epstein died in a New York jail cell in 2019 awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, and since then, conspiracy theories have swirled about what information investigators gathered on him and who else may have been involved in his crimes.

Republicans on the House Oversight Committee initiated the subpoenas for the Clintons last month, as well as demanding all communications between former president Joe Biden’s Democrat administration and the Justice Department about Epstein.

The committee previously issued a subpoena for an interview with Epstein’s former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, who had been serving a prison sentence in Florida for luring teenage girls to be sexually abused by Epstein. She was recently transferred to another facility in Texas.

Mr Clinton was among those acquainted with Epstein before the criminal investigation against him in Florida became public two decades ago. He has never been accused of wrongdoing by any of the women who say Epstein abused them.

Mr Clinton previously said, through a spokesperson, that while he travelled on Epstein’s jet, he never visited his homes and had no knowledge of his crimes.

This is a rare escalation

The subpoenaing of former president Bill Clinton is an escalation, both legally and politically.

Historically, it is rare for congressional oversight to demand deposition from former presidents of the United States.

Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein’s former girlfriend and accomplice, had already been summonsed.

But the House Oversight Committee has now added Bill and Hillary Clinton, several former Attorneys General and former FBI directors to its list.

It signals bipartisan momentum – Democrats voting with Republicans for transparency.

The committee will now hear from several people with known ties to Epstein, his connection with Bill Clinton having been well-documented.

But the subpoenas set up a potential clash between Congress and the Department of Justice.

Donald Trump, the candidate, had vowed to release them. A government led by Mr Trump, the president, chose not to.

If Attorney General Pam Bondi still refuses to release the files, it will fuel claims of a constitutional crisis in the United States.

But another day of Epstein headlines demonstrates the enduring public interest in this case.

The subpoenas give the Justice Department until 19 August to hand over the requested records.

The committee is also asking the former officials to appear for depositions throughout August, September and October, concluding with Hillary Clinton on 9 October and Bill Clinton on 14 October.

Although several former presidents, including Mr Trump, have been issued congressional subpoenas, none has ever appeared before members under compulsion.

Last month, Mr Trump instructed Attorney General Pam Bondi to release information presented to the grand jury that indicted Maxwell for helping Epstein sexually abuse teenage girls.