Ship that hit Baltimore bridge was headed to Sri Lanka
- Dali was beginning 27-day voyage to Colombo and set to arrive April 22
- Vessel built in 2015, logged over 195K nautical miles without major incident
- The ship was chartered by the shipping company Maersk
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(NewsNation) — The container ship that collided Tuesday with a bridge in Baltimore was headed to Sri Lanka, according to the shipping company Maersk, which charters the vessel.
The ship, known as Dali, collided with a pillar of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, Synergy Marine Group, which manages the ship, confirmed in a statement, writing, “Whilst the exact cause of the incident is yet to be determined, the Dali has now mobilized its qualified individual incident response service.”
Dali was sailing under the Singaporean flag and was less than 30 minutes into its 27-day voyage when it stuck the bridge, according to The New York Times.
Dali, owned by Singapore’s Grace Ocean Pte, was expected to arrive in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on April 22, according to a schedule on Maersk’s website.
The vessel carried Maersk customers’ cargo but none of the company’s crew or personnel were on the ship, Maersk said.
Aftermath of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse (Credit: BCFD Engine 5, Truck 3, Medic 10) 
Aftermath of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse (Credit: BCFD Engine 5, Truck 3, Medic 10) 
Aftermath of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse (Credit: BCFD Engine 5, Truck 3, Medic 10) 
Aftermath of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse (Credit: BCFD Engine 5, Truck 3, Medic 10) 
Aftermath of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse (Credit: BCFD Engine 5, Truck 3, Medic 10) 
The Dali container vessel after striking the Francis Scott Key Bridge that collapsed into the Patapsco River in Baltimore, Maryland, US, on Tuesday, March 26, 2024. The commuter bridge collapsed after being rammed by the Dali ship, causing vehicles to plunge into the water. Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images 
The Dali container vessel after striking the Francis Scott Key Bridge that collapsed into the Patapsco River in Baltimore, Maryland, US, on Tuesday, March 26, 2024. The commuter bridge collapsed after being rammed by the Dali ship, causing vehicles to plunge into the water. Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg
“We are horrified by what has happened in Baltimore, and our thoughts are with all of those affected,” Maersk said.
Authorities have not said how many crew members were on board, but they have all been accounted for. Crews are searching for at least seven people believed to be in the water, officials said.
NewsNation confirmed the vessel was built in 2015 and, to date, it has logged more than 195,000 nautical miles without a major incident.
Synergy Marine Group has more than 600 ships under its management, according to the company website.
The Dali hit the bridge, also known as the Beltway Bridge, which opened in March 1977 at an estimated cost of $110 million.
According to the Maryland Transportation Authority, the bridge is about 1.6 miles long, and most recent data reveals more than 12 million vehicles used it to cross the Baltimore Harbor in 2019. This includes trucks carrying hazardous materials, as the bridge was also a designated hazmat route.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.