“一场难以想象的悲剧”：巴尔的摩的钥匙桥在船只撞击后倒塌促使救援工作继续
【中美创新时报2024年3月26日讯】（记者温友平编译）周二早些时候，一艘集装箱船撞上了大桥，导致大桥几处断裂，坠入下面的河流中。美联社记者莉亚·斯基恩（LEA SKENE）对此作了下述报道。
周二早些时候，一艘集装箱船撞上巴尔的摩的一座主要桥梁，导致桥梁断裂并坠入下面的河流中。多辆车辆落入冰冷的水中，救援人员正在搜寻幸存者。
目前还不清楚是什么原因导致这艘货船在繁忙的早晨通勤之前很久就撞上了弗朗西斯·斯科特基大桥，一名官员称华盛顿郊外的一个美国主要城市正在发生“正在发生的大规模伤亡事件”。 两人获救，目前尚不清楚在一个重要港口附近的繁忙港口水域中可能还有多少人。
这艘船撞上了桥梁的一个支撑物，导致结构在几处断裂和弯曲，并在几秒钟内翻入水中——这一令人震惊的景象被视频捕捉并发布在社交媒体上。船着火了，浓浓的黑烟从里面冒出。
“你永远不会想到你会看到，亲眼看到，钥匙桥像那样倒塌。巴尔的摩市市长布兰登·斯科特说，这看起来就像是动作片里的场景，并称这是“一场难以想象的悲剧”。
消防队长詹姆斯·华莱士表示，当局“可能正在寻找七人以上”，但表示数字可能会发生变化，其他官员不会透露具体数字。目前尚不清楚获救的两人是否包括在消防队长提到的七人之内。
当局表示，桥梁倒塌时，规模不详的工作人员正在桥上工作，声纳检测到水中有汽车，水深约 50 英尺（15 米）。根据为国家海洋和大气管理局收集数据的浮标显示，周二黎明前水温约为 47 华氏度（8 摄氏度）。
早些时候，巴尔的摩消防局通讯主管凯文·卡特赖特 (Kevin Cartwright) 告诉美联社，坍塌时桥上有几辆车，其中一辆的大小相当于一辆牵引拖车。 这座桥在半夜倒塌，当时的交通比白天有数千辆汽车穿过桥梁时要少。
卡特赖特称这次倒塌是“正在发生的大规模伤亡事件”，尽管他当时不知道有多少人受到影响。
拥有并管理这艘名为“大理”号的船舶的 Synergy Marine Group 证实，这艘船在凌晨 1 点 30 分左右撞到了桥上的一根柱子，当时船在一名或多名引航员的控制下，这些引航员是当地的专家，帮助引导船只安全驶入港口。
声明称，包括机上两名飞行员在内的所有机组人员均已下落不明，目前没有人员受伤的报告。
周二太阳升起时，从水面突出的桥梁锯齿状残骸被照亮。入口匝道在跨度曾经开始的地方突然结束。
卡特赖特说，一些货物似乎悬挂在这座桥上，这座桥横跨帕塔普斯科河，位于繁忙港口的入口处。 这条河通向东海岸主要航运枢纽巴尔的摩港。 这座桥于 1977 年启用，以《星条旗永不落》的作者命名。
马里兰州交通部长保罗·维德菲尔德表示，所有进出港口的船只交通将暂停，直至另行通知，但该设施仍对卡车开放。
州长韦斯·摩尔宣布进入紧急状态，并表示他正在努力部署联邦资源。联邦调查局已赶到现场，但维德菲尔德表示，不存在恐怖主义嫌疑。 乔·拜登总统听取了情况通报。
根据海上交通的数据，这艘“达利”号原本从巴尔的摩飞往斯里兰卡科伦坡，悬挂新加坡国旗。 据该网站称，这艘集装箱船长约985英尺（300米），宽约157英尺（48米）。
丹麦航运巨头马士基表示，它已经租用了这艘船，该船运载着其客户的货物。船上没有马士基船员和人员。此次暴跌导致马士基在哥本哈根纳斯达克的股价在周二早盘交易中暴跌 2%。
2001年，一列载有危险材料的货运列车在巴尔的摩市中心的一个隧道中脱轨并起火，向周围社区喷出黑烟，迫使官员暂时关闭所有通往该市的主要道路。
题图：2024 年 3 月 26 日星期二在巴尔的摩，一艘集装箱船与桥梁的一个支撑物相撞后，弗朗西斯·斯科特基大桥的部分残骸得以保留。（Kaitlin Newman/AP）
附原英文报道：
‘An unthinkable tragedy:’ Baltimore’s Key Bridge collapses after ship strikes it, prompting rescue efforts
By LEA SKENE The Associated Press,Updated March 26, 2024,
A container ship rammed into the bridge early Tuesday, causing it to snap in a few places and plunge into the river below.
BALTIMORE (AP) — A container ship rammed into a major bridge in Baltimore early Tuesday, causing it to snap and plunge into the river below. Several vehicles fell into the chilly waters, and rescuers searched for survivors.
It was also not clear what caused the cargo ship to crash into the Francis Scott Key Bridge long before the busy morning commute in what one official called a “developing mass casualty event” in a major American city just outside of Washington. Two people were rescued, and it was not clear how many more might be in the waters of the busy harbor near a key port.
The ship crashed into one of the bridge’s supports, causing the structure to snap and buckle at several points and tumble into the water in a matter of seconds — a shocking spectacle that was captured on video and posted on social media. The vessel caught fire, and thick, black smoke billowed out of it.
“Never would you think that you would see, physically see, the Key Bridge tumble down like that. It looked like something out of an action movie,” said Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, calling it “an unthinkable tragedy.”
Fire Chief James Wallace said authorities “may be looking for upwards of seven people” but said that number could change and other officials wouldn’t give figures. It was not clear if the two rescued were included in the seven cited by the fire chief.
Authorities said a crew of unknown size was working on the bridge at the time of the collapse and that sonar had detected cars in the water, which is about 50 feet (15 meters) deep. The water temperature was about 47 degrees Fahrenheit (8 degrees Celsius) before dawn Tuesday, according to a buoy that collects data for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Earlier, Kevin Cartwright, director of communications for the Baltimore Fire Department, told The Associated Press that several vehicles were on the bridge at the time of the collapse, including one the size of a tractor-trailer truck. The bridge came down in the middle of night when traffic would be lighter than during the day when thousands of cars traverse the span.
Cartwright called the collapse a “developing mass casualty event,” though he didn’t know at the time how many people were affected.
Synergy Marine Group — which owns and manages the ship, called the Dali — confirmed the vessel hit a pillar of the bridge at about 1:30 a.m. while in control of one or more pilots, who are local specialists who help navigate vessels safely into ports.
It said all crew members, including the two pilots on board, were accounted for and there were no reports of any injuries.
As the sun rose Tuesday, jagged remnants of the bridge were illuminated jutting up from the waters surface. The on-ramp ended abruptly where the span once began.
Cartwright said that some cargo appeared to be dangling from the bridge, which spans the Patapsco River at the entrance to a busy harbor. The river leads to the Port of Baltimore, a major hub for shipping on the East Coast. Opened in 1977, the bridge is named for the writer of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld said all vessel traffic into and out of the port would be suspended until further notice, though the facility was still open to trucks.
Gov. Wes Moore declared a state of emergency and said he was working to get federal resources deployed. The FBI was on the scene, but Wiedefeld said terrorism was not suspected. President Joe Biden was briefed.
The Dali was headed from Baltimore to Colombo, Sri Lanka, and flying under a Singapore flag, according to data from Marine Traffic. The container ship is about 985 feet (300 meters) long and about 157 feet (48 meters) wide, according to the website.
Danish shipping giant Maersk said it had chartered the vessel, which was carrying its customers’ cargo. No Maersk crew and personnel were on board. The collapse caused Maersk share at the Nasdaq Copenhagen to plummet 2% in early Tuesday trading.
In 2001, a freight train carrying hazardous materials derailed in a tunnel in downtown Baltimore and caught fire, spewing black smoke into surrounding neighborhoods and forcing officials to temporarily close all major roads into the city.
Parts of the Francis Scott Key Bridge remain after a container ship collided with one of the bridge’s supports, Tuesday, March 26, 2024 in Baltimore. (Kaitlin Newman/AP)
