Explosion and fire hit 751-foot coal carrier in Baltimore

An explosion aboard a cargo ship carrying coal in Baltimore (a north-central city in Maryland, USA) sparked a fire and sent thick smoke into the sky on the evening of August 18, though no injuries were reported, authorities said.

According to Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class Matthew West, quoted by US media, Coast Guard crews and Baltimore city firefighters responded quickly and managed to extinguish the blaze while the vessel was still moving. The cause of the explosion and subsequent fire remains under investigation.

Video footage showed heavy black smoke rising from the ship, identified by authorities as the W-Sapphire. The vessel was travelling outbound from Baltimore Harbour through a shipping channel located near the site of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse that occurred last year, West noted.

In a statement, the Baltimore City Fire Department confirmed that the incident took place in the Patapsco River “near the former Key Bridge site.” It reported that 23 people were aboard the 751-foot bulk carrier, none of whom were injured. The ship, however, sustained visible damage consistent with both a fire and an explosion.

The Coast Guard and the fire department said the explosion was reported at approximately 6:30 p.m. A 500-yard safety perimeter was established around the vessel, which could restrict traffic through the main shipping channel, described as being 700 feet wide.

The incident occurred not far from the site of the March 26, 2024, disaster, when another cargo ship veered into the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing part of the structure to collapse and killing six people, including road workers who were on the bridge at the time.

By Tamilla Hasanova