A US Coast Guard helicopter flies over the Dali container vessel after it struck 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
Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Danish shipping giant Maersk on Tuesday confirmed it had chartered the container ship which crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in the U.S. city of Baltimore in the early hours of the morning.
The bridge partially collapsed following the incident, which occurred at 1:35 a.m. local time Tuesday, according to local officials. A rescue operation is underway.
“We are horrified by what has happened in Baltimore, and our thoughts are with all of those affected. We can confirm that the container vessel ‘DALI’, operated by charter vessel company Synergy Group, is time chartered by Maersk and is carrying Maersk customers’ cargo,” the company said in a statement.
“No Maersk crew and personnel were onboard the vessel. We are closely following the investigations conducted by authorities and Synergy, and we will do our utmost to keep our customers informed.”
Maersk shares were 6.5% lower at 12:18 p.m. in London.
Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed after it was struck by a large vessel.
Anadolu | Anadolu | Getty Images
The bridge is southeast of the Baltimore metropolitan area and runs across the Patapsco River.
— CNBC’s Ruxandra Iordache contributed to this story