Baltimore bridge collapse: Two possible causes for catastrophe
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?
Baltimore bridge latest:
Follow live updates
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.
The Singapore-flagged container ship ‘Dali’ after it collided with the bridge. Pic: Reuters
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.”
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
‘They thought it was an earthquake’
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.
The remains of the bridge on top of the ship. Pic: Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
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.”
Read more: What do we know so far about bridge collapse?
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
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.”
Lawyers for Luigi Mangione have called on a judge to block federal prosecutors from seeking the death penalty against him.
Mangione’s legal team says the 27-year-old’s case has been turned into a “Marvel movie” after a failed bid by the US Justice Department to indict him on terrorism charges over the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare chief executive Brian Thompson in New York on 4 December.
New York state judge Gregory Carro said there was no evidence that the killing, which took place as Mr Thompson walked into an investor conference at the New York Hilton Midtown hotel, amounted to a terrorist act.
But Judge Carro upheld second-degree murder charges, which suggest there was malicious intent – but not that it was premeditated.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi has called for Mangione to face capital punishment, describing the charges against him as a “premeditated cold-blooded assassination that shocked America”.
But in the new court filing, Mangione’s legal team argues federal prosecutors have “violated Mr Mangione’s constitutional and statutory rights” by “staging a dehumanizing, unconstitutional ‘perp walk’ where he was televised, videotaped, and photographed clambering out of a helicopter in shackles” on the way to his first court appearance.
The legal team, led by former Manhattan prosecutor Karen Friedman Agnifilo, also claims the death penalty case has been “fatally prejudiced” after President Donald Trump commented on it on Fox News.
Despite laws that prohibit any pre-trial commentary that could prejudice the defendant’s right to a free trial, he told the network on Thursday: “Think about Mangione. He shot someone in the back, as clear as you’re looking at me or I’m looking at you.”
Read more from Sky News
Trump throws out New York Times lawsuit
Free speech warning after Kimmel taken off air
Songwriter killed in small plane crash
UnitedHealthcare chief executive Brian Thompson.
Pic: UnitedHealth Group/AP
The defence team’s 114-page court filing reads: “There is a high bar to dismissing an indictment due to pretrial publicity.
“However, there has never been a situation remotely like this one where prejudice has been so great against a death-eligible defendant.”
Federal prosecutors have until 31 October to respond to the documents.
Mangione has pleaded not guilty to all the state charges against him, which cannot result in the death penalty and only life imprisonment, unlike federal ones. He has also pleaded not guilty to the federal charges.
He is due back in court for a pre-trial hearing in the state case on 1 December and the federal case on 5 December.
The 27-year-old was arrested five days after Mr Thompson was killed – when he was spotted at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, around 230 miles west of New York City.
Journalists at the Pentagon have been told they could be barred if they gather or report information that officials haven’t approved first.
Reporters’ access to the iconic building, the headquarters of the US defence department, is also being curtailed.
Pete Hegseth, the defence secretary, posted on X: “The ‘press’ does not run the Pentagon – the people do.
“The press is no longer allowed to roam the halls of a secure facility. Wear a badge and follow the rules – or go home.”
A memo announcing the changes was sent to reporters on Friday, informing them “information must be approved for public release by an appropriate authorizing official before it is released, even if it is unclassified”.
They must sign an agreement agreeing to the new rules or face having their press pass revoked.
Journalists’ groups said it was a dangerous move that would seriously restrict their ability to hold defence officials to account.
The National Press Club called it “a direct assault on independent journalism at the very place where independent scrutiny matters most: the US military”.
The Society of Professional Journalists said it “would deny the American people the transparency and accountability they deserve”.
“This policy reeks of prior restraint – the most egregious violation of press freedom under the First Amendment – and is a dangerous step toward government censorship,” it said.
“Attempts to silence the press under the guise of ‘security’ are part of a disturbing pattern of growing government hostility toward transparency and democratic norms.”
The Pentagon is home to the newly rebranded Department of War
The defence department – which recently rebranded itself as the Department of War – said it “remains committed to transparency to promote accountability and public trust”.
However, it stated that disclosing information – even if unclassified – without consent was a potential national security risk.
Read more from Sky News:
US talk show hosts react to Kimmel cancellation
Judge throws out Trump’s $15bn lawsuit against NY Times
The first year of US President Donald Trump’s second term has seen several embarrassing episodes for the Pentagon.
A journalist revealed in March that he had accidentally been included on a group chat, which included the defence secretary and vice president, discussing plans to attack Houthi rebels in Yemen.
The Pentagon said no classified information had been shared but opponents said it showed a worryingly lax approach that could endanger US troops.
Doubts were also raised about America’s bombing of Iran’s nuclear sites earlier this year after a leaked intelligence report suggested the attack had only set the regime back “by months”.
President Trump and the CIA both hit back hard against the report, with the president insisting the underground facilities had been “blown to kingdom come”.
A man has been killed and several other people injured in a shooting at a US country club hosting a wedding, police in New Hampshire have said.
Aerial pictures above the Sky Meadow Country Club in Nashua show emergency responders at the scene.
A suspect was detained at the scene by police officers who said “a single male had entered the club and fired several shots”.
Eyewitness reports said the country club was hosting a wedding, and diners were also eating at its restaurant when the suspect entered and began shooting people.
New Hampshire congresswoman Maggie Goodlander said in a statement she was “closely monitoring the tragic reports” and that her heart was with the victims, their families and the entire community.
Ambulances park outside a hotel acting as a reunification centre after the shooting. Pic: AP
Pic: AP
At a news conference, Peter Hinkley, senior assistant attorney general of New Hampshire, said “people don’t think things like this happen on a Saturday night in Nashua in New Hampshire”.
Nashua is about 45 miles (70 kilometres) northwest of Boston, just across the Massachusetts border. It is the only city in America to be ranked Number 1 Best Place to Live by Money magazine twice.
Forbes magazine ranked it America’s seventh most liveable city.
Attorney general John Formella and Nashua Police Department chief Kevin Rourke issued a statement:
“This evening officers responded to 911 calls from the Sky Meadow Country Club in Nashua for reports of gunshots.
“From investigation, a single adult male entered the club and fired several gunshots. One adult male was shot and killed, and several other people were wounded.”
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoButton battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment12 months agoHere are the best electric bikes you can buy at every price level in October 2024