Incident at Baltimore Bridge Wasn't First Crash for Dali Container Ship

Details are beginning to surface regarding the Dali container ship that struck the Port of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge on the morning of March 26, sending vehicles plunging into the water.

The Dali was built by Hyundai Heavy Industries in 2015. It’s owned by Grace Ocean PTD, LTD and most recently was chartered by Maersk Industries. At the time it hit the bridge, the New York Times reports, it was just 30 minutes into a planned 27-day journey. 

The March 26 incident wasn’t the first time the ship had been involved in a crash. According to Vessel Finder, the Dali hit a stone wall at the Port of Antwerp in Belgium on its way to Bremerhaven in 2016, scraping its stern and damaging a large portion of its hull. There were no reported injuries. 

At least two people were rescued from the water after the Dali’s collision with the Baltimore bridge. One of those was said to have been seriously injured.

The incident could also lead to serious downstream effects for the Port of Baltimore, which handles more roll-on/roll-off volume than any other U.S. port. It's also considered an important hub for steel, aluminum, sugar, vehicles, and agricultural equipment and containers, according to Mirko Woitzik with Everstream Analytics.

Freight booking and payment platform Freightos warns that exporters could face higher trucking and rail rates if ships opt to not wait for the waterway to reopen, and instead reroute to other ports like Norfolk and New York/New Jersey. Those alternative ports could in turn face some congestion or delays if the added volume floods in.

In total, an estimated 30 to 40 container vessels call the Port of Baltimore every week.