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Lost power, a mayday call and the crash that brought down a Baltimore bridge
By the time the crew of the Dali, a massive 948ft (289m) container ship, realised what was happening, it was already far too late.
The vessel – at the very start of a 27-day journey from the port of Baltimore to Sri Lanka – completely lost power after leaving the port and was hurtling towards the city’s iconic Francis Scott Key Bridge.
It was the middle of the night and the crew onboard were pitched into further darkness when the ship’s lights suddenly went out.
The vessel was dead: there were no electronics and – crucially – no engine power. They were adrift but powerless to stop what was happening.
Multiple alarms rang out as the crew ran unsuccessful tests in a desperate attempt to fix the issue and regain power. A local pilot onboard the vessel frantically gave orders, telling the crew to steer the rudder hard to port and drop anchor to keep it from drifting starboard. While an emergency generator is believed to have kicked in, the ship never regained the use of its engines.
The pilots were left with no choice. Shortly before 01:30 (05:30 GMT), they issued a mayday call warning authorities that a collision was imminent.
“There’s a ship approaching that has lost their steering,” an official with the Maryland Transportation Authority can be heard saying in radio traffic recorded not long after. “Until you’ve got that under control, we’ve got to stop all traffic.”
Maryland Governor Wes Moore later hailed the crew as “heroes” and said that their quick response had “saved lives” because authorities were able to stop the flow of vehicle traffic on to the bridge in the two minutes between the call and the collision.
It did not, however, stop what happened when the Dali slammed into a concrete column on the 1.5-mile (2.4km) bridge, which quickly collapsed, piece by piece, into the dark, cold waters of the state’s Patapsco River.
Six people – all believed to be members of a road crew working on the bridge – are presumed dead due to the water temperature and time that has passed. The US Coast Guard said in the late evening on Tuesday that it had concluded the men had died and intended to suspend its massive search and rescue effort, which had been complicated by cold and cloudy weather.
Local media had reported that the six workers were citizens of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. The BBC has not independently confirmed this and has contacted consular authorities for comment. All 22 crew on the ship were Indian – the country is a major player in the global seafaring industry.
The ship’s crew were all accounted for and none appeared to suffer significant harm.
The dramatic destruction of the bridge – which opened 47 years ago – left many in the city, including Governor Moore, shaken.
“This is a place that is a normal commute route for 30,000 Marylanders every single day. To hear the words ‘the Key Bridge has collapsed’ is shocking. It’s heartbreaking,” Mr Moore said at a news conference on Tuesday.
“For over 47 years, it is all that we’ve known.”
“I felt it… The whole house shook,” John Flansburg, who lives near the water, told the BBC. “Today’s not going to be a good day. A lot of tragedy.”
Another area resident, Darlene Irwin, said that she first knew there was a problem when she heard a “rumbling sound”.
Hours later, the scale of the destruction became apparent when she looked out her window at the Patapsco River. The massive cargo ship, carrying at least 3,000 containers, was wedged between the debris of the collapsed bridge.
By then, the entire area had become the scene of a massive search and rescue effort, with police boats criss-crossing the river and police and Coast Guard helicopters flying overhead.
At a local school, two US military UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters were parked in a sports field, their camouflage-clad pilots and crew milling next to the aircraft.
“To see it now in the daylight,” Ms Irwin said, “it is just tragic.”
While officials have repeatedly stressed that their focus remains on the search for the missing, experts have warned that the incident could also have a significant impact on the port of Baltimore, one of the busiest on the US east coast.
Maryland Senator Ben Cardin told reporters that the re-opening of the waterway would be “critical” for the US economy.
The port is a key regional hub for goods ranging from steel and aluminum to agricultural equipment, and is used by car-makers including General Motors and Honda. Data from the Maryland Port Administration shows the port handled at least 750,000 vehicles last year.
“This will disrupt vessel schedules and strain handling capacities at other ports such as Philadelphia and Norfolk,” said Mirko Woitzik, global director of intelligence for Everstream Analytics, which provides supply-chain services.
“[This could] lead to spillover congestion and delays that could last month.”
Speaking at the White House on Tuesday, US President Joe Biden – who said he had commuted over the bridge “many, many times” between his home state of Delaware and Washington – vowed to “move heaven and earth” to re-open the bridge.
“We’re going to spend all the federal resources they need as we respond to this emergency,” he said. “And we’re going to rebuild that port together.”
Mr Biden added that 15,000 US jobs “depend on that port”.
Officials have so far declined to comment on any potential timeline for that to happen.
Authorities say that, for now, they are fully focused on the search and rescue operation.
Mr Moore, for his part, said only that the recovery process “will not be short”. Baltimore, he acknowledged, was facing a “long road” after the collapse.
This is not the first time the Dali has been involved in an incident.
According to Vessel Finder, a tracking website, the ship was involved in another collision in the Belgian port of Antwerp in 2016. There were no injuries or significant damage reported at the time.
As night fell on Tuesday, the ship and its load of 3,000 containers remained on the Patapsco River, its nose stuck between the mangled debris of the bridge it brought down in seconds.
(BBC)
Father Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the architect of Qatar’s remarkable transformation into an ultra-wealthy modern nation with global influence, has been laid to rest in Doha following his death at the age of 74.
Sheikh Hamad’s death was announced on Sunday morning, and his simple funeral ceremony was held after the daily evening prayer at sunset at the Imam Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab Mosque in the capital.
Mourners wearing traditional Qatari dress stood with their hands clasped in front of them during a funeral prayer, facing the shrouded body of Sheikh Hamad.
Afterwards, close family members, including his son and successor as emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, carried his body out of the mosque. Sheikh Hamad was laid to rest at the Lusail Cemetery north of Doha.
Al Jazeera’s Zein Basravi said the ceremony was “a humble event” and Sheikh Hamad was “buried in a simple grave”.
“The simplicity really is in keeping with Islamic tradition but also emblematic of how the father emir carried himself in his life,” Basravi said. “He did not concern himself with the trappings of wealth but was focused on the welfare of his own people.”
During Sheikh Hamad’s reign from 1995 to 2013, Qatar’s gross domestic product rose more than 24-fold, largely because of his focus on developing the country’s massive gas resources. By 2006, the small nation had become the world’s largest exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG).
[Aljazeera]
The ECB has sacked Brendon McCullum as England’s Test head coach but he will remain in charge of their white-ball teams. The decision leaves England’s Test team without a captain or a coach and comes barely three months after McCullum was publicly backed to continue despite overseeing a 4-1 defeat to Australia in last winter’s Ashes series.
McCullum described himself as “gutted” to lose a job that he had “absolutely loved”. He said in a statement: “Of course I’m gutted not to be continuing, but I respect the decision. My focus now is on giving everything I’ve got to the white-ball teams and helping England keep moving forward… I wish the Test team nothing but success.”
Richard Gould, the ECB’s chief executive, insisted in March that McCullum could “evolve” and learn from the mistakes made in Australia, saying that sacking him would have been the “easy” option. But only three Test matches later, in the wake of a 2-1 home defeat to New Zealand, the ECB has done exactly that, with Gould saying “the time is right” with next summer’s Ashes less than 12 months away.
“Brendon breathed new life into England Men’s Test team during an exciting period which saw some amazing victories, and we’re grateful for all he has given to the role,” Gould said. “We now believe that the time is right to make a change for the Test team as we target victory in the Ashes next summer.”
McCullum took charge of England’s Test team in 2022 and, along with captain Ben Stokes, inspired a run of 10 wins in his 11 matches in charge, as England played with uncharacteristic and unprecedented attacking flair. But results have tailed off badly since, and he leaves the job without a series win over either Australia or India.
Overall, McCullum’s record as Test coach stands at 27 wins, two draws, and 20 defeats, with seven of those losses coming in England’s last nine Test matches. His tenure both started and finished with home series against his native New Zealand: a 3-0 win in 2022, and defeat last month that culminated in Stokes’ sudden retirement.
McCullum said after England’s heavy defeat at Trent Bridge, where New Zealand clinched their series win, that his commitment to English cricket “has never wavered” and that he was “pretty sure the plan is that we just keep cracking on” when asked about his future as Test head coach.
But after a week of discussions with the ECB, he was informed on Saturday morning – before England’s fifth T20I against India in Southampton – that he would be removed from the Test job.
Rob Key, England’s managing director, decided two years ago to extend McCullum’s brief to include white-ball cricket when his contract was renewed until the end of 2027. McCullum now departs the Test job with over a year left to run on that deal, though will remain in charge of the white-ball teams until the end of next year’s 50-over World Cup in southern Africa.
The ECB said that the process to recruit a replacement for McCullum would begin immediately, and the decision means a return to the split coaching model that England used from 2022-24 when Matthew Mott was in charge of their white-ball teams. Potential candidates could include Andrew Flintoff, Richard Dawson, Ryan Campbell and Justin Langer.
Andy Flower, who coached England to three Ashes wins in 2009, 2010-11 and 2013, is also likely to be a target, though would need a lucrative contract to persuade him to resume a full-time international role given his success in the IPL with Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Key said that it had been an “absolute privilege” to work with McCullum, and that he left the Test team “well-set and poised to achieve great things” despite recent results and the leadership vacuum. Harry Brook is the clear favourite to take over from Stokes as captain but the ECB must weigh up whether he can lead across formats.
McCullum had swerved questions about his own future on Saturday night after England’s win over India in Southampton sealed a 4-0 clean-sweep in the T20I series and took them to No. 1 in the ICC’s rankings in the format. His tenure as white-ball coach started with a group-stage exit at the Champions Trophy, though England reached the T20 World Cup semi-final in March.
“I’ve absolutely loved coaching the Test side and I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved together,” McCullum said. “There’ve been some unbelievable highs and a few tough days along the way, but that’s all part of taking on a challenge like this. It’s been a privilege and an honour, and I’m grateful. Grateful to the players, the staff and the fans who supported us on the journey.
“I wish the Test team nothing but success. There’s a hell of a lot of talent in that dressing room and they’re a special bunch of lads. I’ll always be backing the boys, with a smile on my face, and hoping they keep taking the game on. I know they’ll continue to make people proud.”
[Cricinfo]
Yastika Bhatia followed India team-mate Kranti Gaud in etching her name onto the Lord’s Test honours boards with a maiden international century to guide India within touching distance of a massive victory over England in their historic match.
Sophie Ecclestone became the first Englishwoman named in the Lord’s Test bowling honours for her toil through 33.3 overs of India’s second innings to take 5 for 118, her fourth five-wicket haul in Tests. In all, Ecclestone bowled 55.2 overs for eight wickets, and her five-for came after Gaud won the race to be the first woman on the list with 5 for 37 on the second day.
Gaud continued her outstanding performance by ending the international careers of Tammy Beaumont and Heather Knight in a whimper, as England lurched to 59 for 5 in pursuit of 457. Amy Jones’ second half-century of the match offered enough resistance to ensure England take the match into a fourth and final day, but they do so still needing 327 runs with only four wickets in hand.
Beaumont, who announced two days before the match that this would be her last in an England shirt, fell for a first-ball duck to a beauty that nipped in, beat the inside edge and crashed into the top of off stump. Gaud curtailed her celebrations to join the India players in forming a guard of honour as Beaumont left the field.
Knight, who also announced that she would retire after this match two hours after leaving the field on Saturday evening, was also denied a fairytale farewell. With the match all but gone – India had set England the second-highest target in Women’s Test history – the best she could hope for was an individual innings of note. But she too fell to Gaud, caught at short leg by Richa Ghosh for 13.
Gaud, Sayali Satghare and Sneh Rana took two wickets apiece as Jones and Mady Villiers staged a 67-run stand for the sixth wicket.
Earlier, Bhatia had gone where fellow top-order batter Smriti Mandhana could not with her twin fifties in the match, falling 13 and 30 runs shy of her ton in each. Richa Ghosh also reached an unbeaten fifty, at which point India declared their second innings. Resuming on 39 not out with India one wicket down and leading by 269, Bhatia continued to grind England into submission.
She brought up her second Test fifty with an effortless drive down the ground off Lauren Bell and she punished Issy Wong for bowling too full and too wide by picking off boundaries with ease. She struck 14 fours all up and raised her ton off 145 balls with a drive off Wong through deep extra cover, punching the air in celebration as she ran a single.
The performance bookended a mixed tour of England for Bhatia, which began with a half-century in the opening T20I at Chelmsford – her first appearance in the format since April 2024 after undergoing knee surgery – and ended with a Test ton. In between, she made 41 runs in three innings of India’s T20 World Cup campaign, where they failed to make it out of the group stage.
Bhatia started the day surviving a failed attempt to drive at a Bell delivery which beat the inside edge and clipped off stump but didn’t dislodge the bails. She watched as Mandhana added just one to her overnight score of 69 before falling to Bell, well taken by wicketkeeper Amy Jones diving full-stretch to her right and collecting the ball millimetres above the turf.
Bell then accounted for Jemimah Rodrigues with one that jagged in to hit off stump. Soon after, she left the field suffering from abdominal muscle soreness, which kept her out of action for the remainder of the innings.
Cue Ecclestone, who had removed Shafali Verma on the second evening, to account for India captain Harmanpreet Kaur on this third day, although it took an England review to confirm Harmanpreet was plumb lbw.
Ecclestone had Deepti Sharma out in similar fashion, with one that turned in from outside off stump to hit Deepti on the back hip, before Bhatia holed out to extra cover. She claimed her fifth wicket bowling Sneh Rana with one that stayed low. She looked ready to collapse exhausted into her team-mates’ congratulatory embraces.
Richa, who relinquished the wicketkeeping gloves to Bhatia for this match, batted with freedom and was scoring at a run-a-ball when she was dropped on 43 by Wong at long-on off Ecclestone. She brought up her fifty with a single through the covers off Ecclestone, at which point Harmanpreet declared.
During the India innings, news broke of Brendon McCullum’s sacking as England Men’s Test head coach, continuing a theme of this summer where drama in those quarters has overshadowed the women’s events. Two weeks ago, Ben Stokes announced his international retirement in the middle of a Test against New Zealand, right as eventual T20 Women’s World Cup champions Australia were knocking India out of the tournament at Lord’s.
On this occasion, the England Women’s team might have welcomed the distraction as they crumbled. But for India, who comprehensively outplayed them, the limelight should be theirs.
Scores:
England Women 170 in 59.1 overs [Amy Jones 52; Kranti Gaud 5-37] and 130 for 6 in 40 overs (Amy Jones 52*; Sayali Satghare 2-19, Kranti Gaud 2-40) need 327 runs to beat India Women 285 in 74.5 overs [Smriti Mandhana 83, Harmanpreet Kaur 58, Deepti Sharma 57; Sophie Ecclestone 3-68] and 341 for 7 dec. in 86.3 overs (Smriti Mandhana 70, Yastika Bhatia 113, Richa Ghosh 50*; Sophie Ecclestone 5-118)
[Cricinfo]
Qatar’s Father Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani laid to rest in Doha
Brendon McCullum removed from post as England Men’s Test coach
Yastika century, seamers put India on the brink of historic win at Lord’s
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