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1h ago

Coal Carrier Blast Near Baltimore’s Key Bridge Site Contained with No Injuries

The Coast Guard leads the probe with the Liberian-flagged W-Sapphire held at anchorage pending clearance.

The remains of the Francis Scott Key Bridge are visible after nearly a year of cleanup on March 20, 2025. The bridge, a major span over the Patapsco River in Baltimore, collapsed on March 26, 2024 after it was struck by the Singapore-flagged container ship killing six road workers who were on the bridge at the time.
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Representational.
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Overview

  • Officials said an explosion around 6:28–6:30 p.m. sparked an under-deck fire on the 751-foot bulk carrier W-Sapphire in the Patapsco River near the former Key Bridge site.
  • The blaze was contained and later extinguished as fireboats and tugboats assisted the still-floating vessel.
  • All 23 crew members and two pilots were accounted for without injuries, according to the Baltimore City Fire Department and the U.S. Coast Guard.
  • The coal-laden ship had departed CSX’s Curtis Bay piers outbound for Port Louis, Mauritius, before being escorted out of the main channel to a designated anchorage.
  • The Coast Guard established a 500-yard safety zone and is leading the cause investigation, and state officials reported no property damage beyond the ship.