30-ton hatch removed from Baltimore's harbor after explosion on coal ship
A 30-ton hatch was recovered from Baltimore's harbor Thursday after it detached during an explosion on a coal ship on August 18, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
The Liberian ship, filled with coal, exploded in the Patapsco River near the site of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse.
The hatch's position in the river prompted intermittent restrictions for vessels entering and exiting the Fort McHenry Federal Channel, as the Coast Guard had a safety zone in place over the past week.
On Thursday, the Port of Baltimore said Coast Guard officials recovered the hatch and reopened the channel to ship traffic.
Explosion on coal ship
No injuries were reported in the explosion aboard the W-Sapphire, officials said.
The 751-foot vessel had 23 crewmembers and two pilots onboard at the time, and was hauling coal as it was leaving the harbor.
The vessel stayed afloat after the explosion and was ushered back to port with the help of tugboats, Baltimore Fire officials said.
The cause of the explosion is still unclear and remains under investigation. A video of the explosion was captured on StreamTime LIVE's YouTube page.
Initially, a 2,000-yard safety zone was implemented.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers then used sonar equipment to collect data about the area and identify if there were any obstructions to vessel traffic. The explosion and the following investigation closed the channel for nearly a day.
As officials aimed to determine if the conditions were safe, they discovered that a hatch had detached from the ship and gone into the water during the explosion.
According to the Coast Guard, the W-Sapphire is in stable condition, anchored north of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, and has enacted its vessel response plan.
A plan to clear the vessel from the port will be developed after investigative officials conduct a joint boarding, the Coast Guard said.
