A drifting ship. A massive bridge. But this time, disaster was averted.
On Friday evening, a massive container ship lost power as it was heading out to sea in the shipping lane between Staten Island and Bayonne, New Jersey, according to the New York Post.
The incident came as the ship was near the vicinity of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, bringing to mind the potential of a repeat of the March 26 accident in Baltimore in which a container ship lost power and drifted into the Francis Scott Key bridge, demolishing the structure.
The Coast Guard said the incident involved the 89,000-ton M/V Qingdao.
An image posted to X by John Konrad, CEO of maritime-focused news outlet gCaptain, shows the 1,100-foot Qingdao near the bridge.
“A NY tugboat captain has reported to @gCaptain container ship APL QINGDAO lost power while transiting New York harbor. They had 3 escort tugs but 3 more were needed to bring her under control. They regained power & were brought to anchor near the verrazano bridge,” Konrad posted.
BREAKING: A NY tugboat captain has reported to @gCaptain “container ship APL QINGDAO lost power while transiting New York harbor. They had 3 escort tugs but 3 more were needed to bring her under control. They regained power & were brought to anchor near the verrazano bridge” pic.twitter.com/Z2IP04xmLs
— John Ʌ Konrad V (@johnkonrad) April 7, 2024
The vessel stopped “just north” of the bridge, the Post reported.
Are these maritime incidents merely coincidences?
“Coast Guard Vessel Traffic Service New York received a report from the M/V Qingdao around 8:30 p.m., Saturday, that the vessel had experienced a loss of propulsion in the Kill Van Kull waterway,” a Coast Guard representative said.
The Kill Van Kull waterway connects Newark Bay and the Port Newark Container Terminal with Upper New York Bay.
“The vessel regained propulsion and was assisted to Stapleton Anchorage by tugs,” the Coast Guard said.
The Coast Guard required that the ship’s propulsion system was in working order before allowing the ship to go on its way.
A report documenting why the ship lost power was also required by the Coast Guard.
Something very serious is going on
3/26: Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed after being struck by a cargo ship
3/30: barge strikes Highway 59 bridge over Arkansas river
4/5: a massive container ship lost power near NYC Verrazano bridge https://t.co/II3kg3T1TQ
— LogicForAll (@ebelotseNYC) April 7, 2024
“The collapse of the Baltimore bridge has sparked discussions in corporate media about America’s vulnerable infrastructure,” Tyler Durden wrote on the website Zero Hedge.
“Within government, high-level officials are likely concerned about terrorists crippling the nation through a series of infrastructure attacks. Maybe it’s time the US government vet all foreign crews of commercial vessels entering America’s waters,” he wrote.
