Another massive container ship has lost control, this time near the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge in New York.
A huge vessel was attempting to leave the waters around New York City on Friday when it reportedly suffered a loss of control.
The incident is a similar issue to that experienced by the vessel that tragically brought the historic Francis Scott Key Bridge crashing into Baltimore Harbor late last month.
However, the propulsion problem suffered by the APL Qingdao in New York did not ultimately prove to be calamitous, unlike the Singapore-flagged Dali crash in Baltimore.
The APL Qingdao is a 1,145-foot, 89,000-ton ship flying under the Malta flag.
The U.S. Coast Guard confirmed to the New York Post that the APL Qingdao lost propulsion around 8:30 p.m. on Friday night.
At the time, it was sailing along the shipping lane between Staten Island and Bayonne, New Jersey.
According to John Konrad, a maritime journalist and the CEO of gCaptain, the three tugboats that had been escorting the ship down the 3-mile Kill Van Kull waterway were aided by another three in an effort to bring the giant vessel under control.
The ship subsequently dropped anchor just north of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge.
BREAKING: A NY tugboat captain has reported to @gCaptain “container ship APL QINGDAO lost power while transiting New York harbor. They had 3 escort tugs but 3 more were needed to bring her under control. They regained power & were brought to anchor near the verrazano bridge” pic.twitter.com/Z2IP04xmLs
— John Ʌ Konrad V (@johnkonrad) April 7, 2024
The Coast Guard said in a statement:
“Coast Guard Vessel Traffic Service New York received a report from the M/V APL Qingdao around 8:30 pm, Friday, that the vessel had experienced a loss of propulsion in the Kill Van Kull waterway.
“The vessel regained propulsion and was assisted to safely anchor in Stapleton Anchorage, outside of the navigable channel just north of the Verrazano Bridge, by three towing vessels.
“These towing vessels were escorting the vessel as a routine safety measure, which is a common practice for large vessels departing their berth.”
Before leaving, the crew had to submit a casualty report accounting for what caused the loss of power.
Repairs were also made to the ship’s system following the incident, CBS News noted.
VesselFinder indicated that the ship had successfully made its way out of the New York harbor and continued onward to its destination of Norfolk, Virginia.
Staten Island Assemblyman Charles Fall (D) told SILive.com:
“While the swift response by tugboats to secure the vessel prevented immediate harm, this incident further highlights the urgent need for comprehensive safety reviews of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, the Goethals Bridge, the Bayonne Bridge, and the Outerbridge Crossing.”
“The recent disaster at the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Maryland is a harrowing reminder of what could happen if we fail to prioritize the integrity of our infrastructure,” added Fall.
Power outages and a propulsion problem allegedly sent the container ship Dali crashing into Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge.
A video shows the shocking moment that the ship struck the bridge and sent it crashing down into the water.
WATCH:
Two weeks after the Francis Scott Key Bridge tragedy, divers continue to search for bodies.
At least six people are believed to be dead, reported the Independent.
On Friday, officials announced that they had recovered the body of a third victim, 38-year-old Maynor Yasir Suazo-Sandoval.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers indicated that a new channel will be ready for use by month’s end.
This will enable ships to enter and leave the second-busiest port in the mid-Atlantic.
Maryland’s Democrat Gov. Wes Moore told CBS News’s “Face the Nation” that maritime operations in the Port of Baltimore could be functional as early as May.
The latest incident comes amid an apparent rise after another bridge-related boat accident.
Late last month, just days after the Baltimore tragedy, a bridge over the Arkansas River south of Sallisaw, Oklahoma, was also struck by a boat.
However, there was minimal damage and no casualties, despite a powerful crashing sound.
WATCH:
The Associated Press reported that a barge struck a pier holding Highway 59 over the river on March 30.
After a brief road closure, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation indicated that the structure was subsequently deemed sound by engineers and safe to transit.
READ MORE – Rancher Raises Alarm as Feds Begin Bulldozing Texas Farms
