An enormous container ship reportedly lost power while transiting New York harbor near the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, which connects Staten Island and Brooklyn.
“A NY tugboat captain has reported to @gCaptain ‘container ship APL QINGDAO lost power while transiting New York harbor. They had 3 escort tugs but 3 more were needed to bring her under control. They regained power & were brought to anchor near the verrazano bridge,’” Captain John Konrad, CEO of gCaptain, said Saturday evening.
BREAKING: A NY tugboat captain has reported to @gCaptain “container ship APL QINGDAO lost power while transiting New York harbor. They had 3 escort tugs but 3 more were needed to bring her under control. They regained power & were brought to anchor near the verrazano bridge” pic.twitter.com/Z2IP04xmLs
— John Ʌ Konrad V (@johnkonrad) April 7, 2024
Konrad said “we are still waiting for confirmation on the incident.”
NOTE: we are still waiting for confirmation on the incident
— John Ʌ Konrad V (@johnkonrad) April 7, 2024
“The ship is registered in Malta and is owned and operated by the large French shipping company @cmacgm,” he continued.
“One major difference between Baltimore and New York is the US Coast Guard operates Vessel Traffic Service in NY VTS is like air traffic control. They monitor all ships and tugs and can respond quickly to emergencies Baltimore did not have VTS service,” Konrad noted.
One major difference between Baltimore and New York is the US Coast Guard operates Vessel Traffic Service in NY
VTS is like air traffic control. They monitor all ships and tugs and can respond quickly to emergencies
Baltimore did not have VTS service
— John Ʌ Konrad V (@johnkonrad) April 7, 2024
Zero Hedge reports:
Adding validity to Konrad’s report, the vessel’s AIS tracking data shows it abruptly dropped anchor late Friday night – just before the 13,700-foot suspension bridge. As of Sunday morning, the vessel’s navigational status is “anchored.”
The incident comes nearly two weeks after a container ship lost power and collapsed the 1.6-mile-long Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, paralyzing the Port of Baltimore.
“While the Verrazzano shares some characteristics with the Key Bridge, there are also important differences,” an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal recently read, adding:
“First, its massive vertical supports are positioned much closer to land than the Key Bridge’s—1,000 feet away from the harbor’s navigation channel—making them considerably less likely to be hit by an errant vessel. The towers also are surrounded by rock islands, which would force any ship heading toward the supports to run aground before striking the tower. Additional safety projects have further hardened protections, even adding an air gap sensor system that detects vertical clearances between the bridge and large vessels passing underneath.”
Container Ship Reportedly “Lost Power” In NYC Harbor, Right Before Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge
— zerohedge (@zerohedge) April 7, 2024
In addition to the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse, a large barge collided with a bridge over the Arkansas River in Oklahoma.
The incident caused authorities to temporarily close the bridge and halted traffic on a major highway.
Highway Closes After Barge Strikes Bridge
