Baltimore Cargo Ship Explosion Shuts Port Channel, Sparks Investigation
US investigators are probing the cause of an explosion aboard a coal-carrying cargo ship that shook the Port of Baltimore on Monday evening as the vessel set sail for East Africa.
The blast lit up the night sky with flames and a thick plume of smoke over the Patapsco River, forcing the closure of the port’s main shipping channel. No injuries were reported.
According to the Associated Press, the incident occurred near the site of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in March 2024, when the container ship Dali struck a bridge support after losing power, killing six workers and disrupting port operations for months.
The affected vessel, the W-Sapphire — a 229-metre Liberian-flagged cargo ship built in 2012 — was en route to Mauritius carrying a load of coal.
The ship had 23 crew members and two pilots on board when the explosion triggered a mayday call.
Baltimore Fire Department spokesperson John Marsh confirmed firefighters had extinguished a fire below deck, while the Maryland Department of Emergency Management said no property damage occurred beyond the vessel itself.
The US Coast Guard has imposed a 1.8-kilometre safety zone around the site and is leading the investigation.
Officials have not given a timeline for reopening the waterway, with vessel traffic suspended until clearance is granted.
