Report: Ship Had Electrical Issues Days Before Baltimore Bridge Collision

Dali, the ship behind the fatal bridge collapse in Baltimore on Wednesday, had suffered from a “severe electrical problem” for days before it lost power during its ill-fated trip out of the Maryland harbor, a port worker told a CNN affiliate on Thursday.

Julie Mitchell, co-administrator of Container Royalty, a company tracks the tonnage on container ships coming in and out of Baltimore, said the massive container ship had sat in the port for two days suffering from “total power failure, loss of engine power, everything.”

Now Mitchell is pointing a finger at those who gave the ship an OK to leave port despite its alleged issues.

“They shouldn’t have let the ship leave port until they got it on under control,” she said, adding that she’s unsure whether decision makers thought the issue was fixed before Dali set sail.

Six construction workers are presumed dead in the tragedy, which authorities say likely would have been much worst had bridge workers not shut down traffic on the Francis Scott Key Bridge just before impact after a “mayday” call came in from Dali. Ten vessels, including bulk carriers and naval ships, were stuck in Baltimore by the wreckage on Wednesday. Read more at CNN.