Baltimore cargo ship explosion near Key Bridge site: What we know

BALTIMORE, Md. - Video posted to social media appears to show a cargo ship exploding in the Baltimore Harbor, near where the Baltimore Key Bridge collapsed in March 2024. 

Witness Jay Steinmetz, who was in a sailboat nearby, told FOX 5 DC that the name of the ship is the MV W Sapphire.

"We heard a huge explosion," he said. "I thought that they were blowing up part of the bridge, but obviously I
could see after I turned my head that there was a 200-foot plume of smoke over the boat that we'd just seen." 

He said that because he was far enough away, the explosion didn't move his sailboat. 

Steinmetz said that he was able to hear some of what was going on through an emergency radio he had on board his sailboat. He said that those on board the MV W Sapphire were concerned about further explosions, and that he believes folks onboard got assistance. 

"I believe that everybody was fine, and they were able to rescue everybody," he said. "I was able to hear some of that." 

He added that "things happen" when asked whether he thought it was a freak accident. 

Ship explosion in Baltimore harbor

What we know:

According to the Baltimore City Fire Department, they responded to reports of an explosion aboard a commercial vessel in the Patapsco River near the former Key Bridge site on Monday evening.

Firefighters responded by both land and water, including the department’s fireboats. Upon arrival, the fireboat crew located the W-Sapphire, a 751 foot bulk carrier, showing signs of damage consistent with a fire and explosion.

The vessel remained afloat and was being assisted by tug boats, according to officials.

The ship’s crew confirmed that all 23 people on board were accounted for and uninjured.

Officials said that fireboats remained on scene as the Coast Guard and other agencies began their investigation. The vessel will be moved to a designated anchorage area and held there until cleared by the Coast Guard.

Dig deeper:

The BCFD operates the region’s only full-time fireboat capable of responding to not only fires but any maritime emergency on the Chesapeake Bay. The 87-foot John R. Frazier was acquired in 2007 through federal grant funding and supports both the City of Baltimore and the Port of Baltimore.

The backstory:

The March 26, 2024, disaster occurred when the massive container ship Dali lost power and collided with a supporting column of the bridge. Six construction workers, who were repairing potholes at the time, died when the structure crumbled. The collapse brought months-long closures at Baltimore's port and caused severe traffic congestion, issues that persist across the region today.

According to federal investigators, the Maryland Transportation Authority failed to conduct a recommended vulnerability assessment, which could have identified the bridge’s significant risk of collapse due to ship strikes.

READ MORE: New Baltimore Francis Scott Key Bridge design unveiled

Efforts to rebuild the bridge are underway. Officials have announced that the replacement structure will be taller and more resilient to ship impacts. The new design, a cable-stayed bridge—the first of its kind in the state—is estimated to cost more than $1.7 billion and could be completed by 2028.

The original Francis Scott Key Bridge, a 1.6-mile steel span connecting Baltimore’s industrial communities and providing a bypass for downtown traffic, opened in 1977 after five years of construction.

This is a developing story. Stay with FOX 5 DC for updates. 

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