25 June 2024 (Lloyd's List) - THE containership that destroyed the Francis Scott Key bridge in Baltimore has finally left the US port, nearly three months to the day since the bridge collapsed.

Singapore-flagged, 2015-built, 10,000 teu Dali (IMO: 9697428) left Baltimore for Norfolk, Virginia for repairs on June 24. It was assisted by US Coast Guard vessels as it exited the port under its own power.

Dali will first stop at Virginia International Gateway to offload 1,500 containers to reduce draught, the coastguard said, before heading on to Norfolk.

As Dali was finally leaving Baltimore, the National Transportation Safety Board said it was continuing to examine electrical components from the ship in an update it gave on the investigation.

In a preliminary report published in May 2024, NTSB said electrical breakers on the ship unexpectedly opened when Dali was just three lengths away from the Francis Scott Key bridge, causing the first blackout witnessed in footage from the incident.

Investigators also noted an interruption in the control circuit for one of the breaker’s undervoltage release, which opens a breaker when voltage falls below a certain threshold.

NTSB said the investigation was still ongoing and reiterated the findings did not prove the cause of the disaster.