Five days after the cargo vessel Dali rammed into Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge killing six people, the all-Indian crew of the Sri Lanka-bound ship now faces an uncertain future. The over 20 crew members have been stuck in the ship ever since, though they are said to be 'doing good.'
The crew are keeping the ship operable while answering questions from officials investigating the accident, according to a report by The New York Times.
Despite the US officials, including President Joe Biden, praising the crew for their intervention, they will remain stuck in the Port of Baltimore for weeks, the report added. The crew had passed on a swift mayday message to the authorities about their power loss, which helped the police officers stop traffic from heading onto the bridge.
Dali will not be allowed to dock at the port either as they must wait for enough debris to be cleared for the channel to be reopened. The governor of Maryland said officials planned to remove the first piece of the debris from Sunday.
The N.T.S.B. and the Coast Guard would have to finish their investigations for the shipping company to even consider swapping crew.
However, the Indians are reportedly doing well. Chris James, who works for a consulting firm assisting the ship’s management company, Synergy Marine, told NYT that the crew members have ample supplies of food and water, as well as plenty of fuel to keep the generators going. Jennifer Homendy, the chair of the National Transportation Safety Board who went onboard the ship, observed the cook cooking. "It smelled very good," Homendy was quoted by NYT.
The incident has also cast a shadow over the Indian seafarers. According to Clistan Joy Sequeira, an Indian seafarer who was not on the Dali but who docked in Baltimore from another cargo ship on Friday, told the newspaper that he feared the repercussions that the bridge collapse could have on his industry and his country. "I’m scared that because this crew is Indian, our international image will suffer," Mr. Sequeira said, adding that he feared job losses.
Andrew Middleton, who runs Apostleship of the Sea, a programme that ministers to sailors coming through the port, said he extended support for the crew. "When I’ve asked how they’re doing, their answers range from ‘good’ to ‘great," he said. "So, by their own accounts, they’re OK."
Some in the local community also sent care packages to the crew which included candy, home-baked muffins from a concerned local and thank-you cards from children.
