Explosion Rocks Cargo Ship Carrying Coal In Baltimore; No Injuries Reported

An detonation rocked a cargo vessel carrying ember successful Baltimore, causing a occurrence and sending a watercourse of fume into nan entity but leaving nary injuries, authorities said Monday evening.

U.S. Coast Guard crews and firefighters from nan metropolis of Baltimore were among those who responded to nan incident, and nan occurrence was extinguished connected nan still-moving vessel, Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class Matthew West said.

The origin of nan blast and consequent occurrence was nether investigation, he said. Video from nan segment showed achromatic fume still billowing from nan vessel, which authorities said is named W-Sapphire.

Smoke rises aft an detonation connected a cargo vessel disconnected Baltimore, Md., connected Monday.Courtesy PeaceForJ @barcodeman

The cargo vessel was carrying ember successful a transmission outbound from Baltimore Harbor adjacent nan tract of last year's Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse, West said.

In a statement, nan Baltimore City Fire Department described nan location arsenic being successful nan "Patapsco River adjacent nan erstwhile Key Bridge site."

It said 23 group were connected committee nan 751 "bulk carrier" and nary reported injury. The vessel, however, was "showing signs of harm accordant pinch a occurrence and explosion."

The Coast Guard and occurrence section said nan incident was reported astir 6:30 p.m.

Authorities were maintaining a 500-yard information area astir nan cargo ship. That could preclude alloy postulation done nan main shipping channel, which has been described arsenic being 700 feet wide.

On March 26, a cargo vessel drifted into nan Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing partial illness and sidesplitting six people, including roadworthy workers who had been atop nan structure.