The collision of a massive cargo ship, Rahtilaiva Dali, caused immense destruction on the Francis Scott Key Bridge. The ship was moving slower than a cyclist and crashed into a pillar with a force comparable to a rocket launch, resulting in the collapse of the middle section of the bridge and the tragic loss of six lives.
The enormous mass of the cargo ship was responsible for the immense power behind the impact. Experts estimate that slowing down such a large vessel would have required at least 12 million Newtons, with realistic estimates going up to over 100 million Newtons. This highlights the incredible power behind collisions involving large vessels.
The Rahtilaiva Dali weighed approximately 95,000 tons and could hold thousands of containers. Despite differing opinions from experts about whether bridges should be able to withstand such collisions, it is clear that the force of the impact caused catastrophic damage.
The tragic event serves as a reminder of the incredible power that large vessels possess and the devastating consequences that can result from collisions. It is crucial to take all necessary precautions when transporting goods by sea to prevent such events from occurring again in the future.
