Baltimore coal ship blast closes channel, reopens same day

A coal ship in the Baltimore channel has exploded, and the local authorities, to their credit, managed to get the shipping channel in Baltimore reopened the same day. A merchant vessel called the W-Sapphire exploded close to where the devastating bridge collapse took place only a few months ago, while the ship will most likely not sail again, no injuries or damage to properties were reported. This is just the latest incident in the region and suggests that Baltimore’s emergency services are among the best in the nation.

Baltimore officials have cleared the shipping channel to reopen the same day

While the explosion came as a shock to the system, luckily, the emergency services and clean-up crews were able to deal with the incident in a timely manner, reopening the shipping channel only a few hours after the explosion took place. Which is astonishing to say the least. The Port of Baltimore is an integral part of the region’s economy.

“The U.S. Coast Guard has reopened the Fort McHenry Federal Channel into and out of the Port of Baltimore. We appreciate the great work of the Coast Guard, tugs, pilots, and other port partners to reopen the channel as quickly as possible. We also thank our customers for their patience and understanding during this incident.” – Port of Baltimore officials

The merchant ship was reportedly carrying coal when the explosion took place. Several videos have emerged that show a plume of smoke emanating from the ship, which is registered in Liberia. The ship was en route to Africa after departing from the Port of Baltimore. The explosion occurred around 6:30 p.m. south of Fort Carroll in the Patapsco River.

Baltimore harbour just can’t seem to catch a break following two incidents

The explosion of the W-Sapphire is just the latest incident to take place in the Baltimore Harbor. Only a few short months ago, a catastrophic and deadly incident took place when a ship lost power and steering and collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge, killing six workers who were working on the bridge at the time.

The story was picked up by local and national media and made international headlines. Interviews emerged with the survivors of the crash, which broke the hearts of those watching and gave a deeper insight into what exactly happened on that fateful day. This latest explosion was not the result of any improper operations, at least that’s what the investigation has found so far.

Firefighters and emergency services personnel responded quickly to the incident. The Firefighters set up a 2,000-yard safety zone around the site of the explosion. And have retrieved the pieces of the ship that went into the water following the explosion. The Fort McHenry Channel, the port’s main shipping route to the Atlantic Ocean, was closed for several hours while sonar surveys were carried out. The midstream operations in the area might be affected by the closure.

“Firefighters responded by both land and water, including the department’s fireboats. Upon arrival, the fireboat crew located the W-Sapphire… showing signs of damage consistent with a fire and explosion.” – Baltimore Fire Department

The cause of the explosion is yet to be determined as investigations continue

Once the site of the explosion was cleared by the emergency services and firefighters, the ship was moved to an area near Sandy Point State Park and north of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge while inspections continue. Initial investigations have found that a loose wire in the ship might be to blame for the explosion, and no workers on the vessel were to responsible. The government can be proud of the emergency services in the area, as the fact that the channel was reopened the same day only points to the excellent firefighters and emergency services that have done Baltimore proud.