gCaptain: US Army Engineers activate emergency operations center to help Baltimore

The US Army has activated an emergency operations center for its Corps of Engineers, freeing up over 1,100 engineering and construction experts to assist local and state authorities in clearing up the wreckage caused by the accidental collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge yesterday, according to maritime news site gCaptain.

This assistance is set to include the use of sophisticated remote controlled vehicles and sonar to detect structural issues, as well as a debris removal vessel to remove dangerous objects from the river.

The ship which crashed into and collapsed Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge had lost power before the collision and was unable to steer away, according to an analysis by John Konrad, CEO of maritime news site gCaptain.

According to the analysis, "the ship’s lights went out twice before the collision, indicating possible issues in the engine room. Despite the quick restoration of lighting, this suggests a full blackout occurred, prompting the emergency generator to restore basic electrical services and lighting."

As "ships are not required to have tugboat escorts when passing under the Francis Scott Key Bridge so they have limited ability to slow down on their own when they lose power and can not put the propeller into reverse."