Indian sailor injured after ship rammed US bridge received stitches, returned to vessel

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced today that one of the twenty Indian nationals on board a cargo ship that lost power and crashed into a bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, had gotten stitches before he could board the damaged ship again.

"There were 20 Indian crew members. One was injured. He was treated, and given stitches. He has now returned to the ship," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters today.

A day after the huge container ship Dali, flying the flag of Singapore, reported losing power and maneuverability before crashing into a bridge support pylon, new information regarding the deadly accident came to light.

The majority of the bridge nearly instantly collapsed into the Patapsco River mouth due to the impact, obstructing shipping channels and necessitating the permanent closure of the Port of Baltimore, which is among the busiest on the US Eastern Seaboard.

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The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) team boarded the idled freighter earlier on Wednesday in order to start interviewing the 21 regular crew members and the ship's two pilots.

Although there is no risk to the public, 56 of the 4,700 cargo containers on the ship were filled with dangerous goods. During the collision, two containers flew overboard, but they were empty of dangerous contents. More than 1.5 million gallons of fuel oil were on board the ship.

(With inputs from agencies)