Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock for a few weeks, you’ll have heard about the unfortunate accident involving the Baltimore Bridge and the Dali.

The 948ft container ship hit the support structure of the bridge shortly after issuing a mayday call saying they’d lost power. Police responded within 2 minutes, blocking any more traffic from entering the bridge and most likely saving lives. Sadly, this isn’t a tale that ends well. A group of construction workers on the bridge didn’t make it off in time. Six went into the water, only two came out alive. It’s a terrible freak accident, and with the search now called off, it’s a very sad time for all involved. 

But what happens next? What will happen to the Dali? And the containers? How will they clear the bridge debris? Are we looking at another “Ever Given” scenario in terms of shipping disruption? The answer isn’t simple, I’m afraid. A combination of factors will now come into play, some of which may have an impact on freight in other parts of the world – although almost certainly not as impactful as the Suez Canal blockage. 

For several days, ships were unable to enter or leave the port of Baltimore. Three bulk carriers, one vehicle carrier, three logistics naval vessels, two general cargo ships and one oil chemical tanker are among those stuck in the port. There’s now a small temporary channel open, that can allow some smaller tugs to pass, and plans to open deeper channels in the coming days. The clean up will take weeks, if not months. It’s a complicated process due to the sheer volume of debris and bulky nature of the structure, as well as the fact that some of the damaged containers were carrying hazardous goods which are now in the water. 

Who will pay for it? Mostly the federal government. The company that owns the Dali will have to pay some damages, but they’ve invoked an old pre-civil war maritime law from 1851, to try and cap their liability at $44 million. 

What about the cargo and crew of the Dali? Well thankfully, the crew were unharmed. But they are stranded. And the cargo is too. The crew are still aboard the ship, and it’s looking like they will stay there until the investigation is completed. Why? Mostly paperwork. The crews on freight ships don’t often have the necessary paperwork, visas and documentation to be allowed to disembark. 

Then there’s the ship and the cargo itself. What will happen to that? An investigation will take place, insurers will do evaluations and this will most take months. The likely result is that cargo on the Dali will be considered “lost” and the ship itself will be taken for breaking. 

So is there a potential impact on other freight? Potentially, but it probably won’t be huge. And certainly nothing like the impact seen by the Ever Given incident. It’s a sad situation and a big mess to clean up. And a very good reminder to anyone moving cargo to get good insurance. You just never know what might happen!