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Incidents Involving Cargo Ships and Bridges
Less than two weeks following a significant incident in Baltimore where a massive cargo ship collided with a bridge, another alarming event occurred in New York. An enormous vessel, known as APL Qingdao, came perilously close to a bridge in the city’s harbor after experiencing a loss of control.
A Harrowing Situation in New York Harbor
The 1,100-container capacity APL Qingdao encountered trouble late in the evening on a Friday as it lost some of its controls while navigating New York Harbor. The U.S. Coast Guard swiftly responded to the distress call, as reported by CBS News, launching a rescue operation to assist the massive vessel. Weighing close to 90,000 tons, the ship’s mechanical issues raised concerns as it approached the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, a crucial link between Brooklyn and Staten Island.
Following the successful intervention of tugboats, the APL Qingdao was secured, allowing technicians to board the ship and conduct necessary repairs to remedy the propulsion failure. Business Insider elaborated on the Coast Guard’s response, stating that the vessel was guided to safety, anchoring outside the navigable channel near the Verrazano Bridge before being towed to a secure location.
“Coast Guard Vessel Traffic Service New York received a report from the M/V APL Qingdao around 8:30 p.m., Friday, that the vessel had experienced a loss of propulsion in the Kill Van Kull waterway. The vessel regained propulsion and was assisted to safely anchor in Stapleton Anchorage, outside of the navigable channel just north of the Verrazano Bridge, by three towing vessels,”
Resumption of Journey and Ensuing Precautions
Upon completion of repairs and safety checks, the APL Qingdao safely departed the New York Harbor, continuing its journey towards the port of Norfolk in Virginia. According to online tracking service Vessel Finder, the vessel is operated by CMA CGM, a French logistics company, and is one of over 600 ships in their fleet, boasting an impressive travel distance of more than 180,000 nautical miles this year.
Interestingly, this incident occurred merely a dozen days after a similar mishap in Baltimore, where the Francis Scott Key Bridge was struck by another container ship. The aftermath of that collision resulted in the collapse of the bridge, obstructing port access and causing widespread disruptions across various industries, including the automotive sector.
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