The Francis Scott Key Bridge tragedy has left the people of Maryland in a state of shock and horror. The incident involved the collapse of the historical bridge, which has resulted in the loss of lives and property. While the cause of the collapse is still unclear, there are speculations about the potential involvement of the cargo ship or human error.
Mary Schiavo, a former inspector for the Department of Transportation, has expressed doubts about the highly trained drivers of the ship who should have taken precautions to avoid such an accident. The ship involved in the tragedy was a massive 984-foot vessel, weighing around 213 million pounds. The damage caused by the ship’s collapse is irrevocable and has resulted in the loss of around 10-20 lives and the sinking of the ship’s cargo.
It is a tragic incident that has affected everyone involved, and both Baltimore citizens and families of the workers have been severely impacted by this terrible event. Hopefully, the authorities will be able to find the cause of the accident and prevent such incidents from happening in the future.
The city of Baltimore is currently facing a challenging period, and its hope is for the community to work together to overcome the obstacles ahead. A comprehensive plan has been put into place to rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge, with funding for at least four hundred million dollars. However, it may take up to 3 to 5 years to complete the construction work.
In response to the crisis, the Biden administration has taken quick action by releasing an initial $60 million in emergency aid. This financial support will help in the efforts to reopen the ports for imports and exports. However, President Biden has pledged to provide full financial coverage for the entire cost of rebuilding the bridge. This significant commitment should provide the necessary resources to be available to complete the project successfully.
Overall, with this incident, there were some seriously questionable decisions with inspections of the ship’s movability, and there were even theories that fuel contamination or a closed valve of the ship’s generator could have come into play with the ship’s mechanical failure. There were many other possibilities, but human error became a big factor in driving the ship. The Department of Transportation claimed that the crew driving the ship were highly trained individuals and were the most likely to prevent situations like this, but this was not the case. If the crew had been prepared, would it have prevented a tragedy like this? We will never know.
