Investigation into Cargo Ship Explosion That Prompted Mayday Call Near Baltimore Bridge Site
An explosion aboard a cargo ship transporting coal from Baltimore harbor to East Africa caused the closure of the main shipping channel near the site of last year’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse. The 751-foot vessel W-Sapphire, sailing under a Liberian flag, was en route to the Port of Mauritius when it issued a mayday call after the explosion. Authorities reported no injuries or property damage beyond the ship, with 23 crew members and two pilots onboard. The U.S. Coast Guard established a 2,000-yard safety zone around the incident site and is determining when the shipping channel can reopen. The channel was previously closed for months following the March 2024 bridge collapse that killed six workers.