Around three months after the Baltimore bridge collapse, the Dali cargo ship finally set sail for Virginia on Monday.
The cargo ship headed out of Baltimore by around 8:30 am. It is headed to Norfolk, Virginia, for the removal of the remaining containers on the vessel and additional repairs.
On March 26, the ship with 21 crew members on board lost power and crashed into one of the Francis Scott Key bridge's supporting columns, killing six people. All the 20 crew members of the ship were Indians.
The ship was guided back to the port on May 20 as the vessel was stuck amid the wreckage for almost two months.
Also Read | Baltimore bridge collapse: Crashed cargo ship had an all Indian crew
An investigation was launched into the accident. The National Transportation Safety Board in its probe found the ship experienced two power outages in the hours before it left the Port of Baltimore. However, the agency is still investigating what caused the electrical failures.
The FBI also launched a criminal investigation.
Last week, eight Indian crew members including a cook, a fitter and seamen returned home after an agreement approved by a federal judge. None of the crew members had been able to leave the US since the crash. Under the agreement, the crew members can return home but must be available for depositions.
Thousands of longshoremen, truckers and small business owners have seen their jobs impacted by the collapse, prompting local and state officials to prioritise reopening the port and restoring its traffic to normal capacity in hopes of easing the economic ripple effects.
Officials have said they hope to rebuild the bridge by 2028.
