As salvage efforts are underway, the National Transportation Safety Board has been gathering evidence at the scene of the Baltimore bridge crash, interviewing witnesses and analyzing the ship’s data recordings.
Two pilots who were tasked with guiding the ship out of port were expected to be interviewed by authorities Thursday. The vessel’s captain, his mate, the chief engineer and another engineer have already spoken to investigators, said NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy.
Investigators have used audio and data from the 213-million-pound ship’s voyage data recorder to extract clues as to what happened in the moments leading up to the collision.
Within a minute, police officers on both ends of the bridge were ordered to stop traffic crossing the bridge, said Marcel Muise, the NTSB investigator in charge of the collapse inquiry. Officials have credited this swift action for saving lives.
During their first full day at the scene Wednesday, investigators saw the “utter devastation” of the mangled bridge – pieces of which are still draped over the ship’s bow, Homendy said.
The Dali, a Singaporean-flagged container vessel, had 23 people on board – 21 crew members and two pilots. Of the crew members, 20 are Indian nationals who are “in good shape” following the crash, India’s Ministry of External Affairs said Thursday.
Only one member was slightly injured and required some stitches, said spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal. All crew members were still onboard the cargo ship as of Thursday, said an Indian Ministry of External Affairs senior official familiar with the matter.
