Cargo ship lost propulsion near New York’s Verrazzano Bridge
- Cargo ship lost power near the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge Friday
- The 89,000-ton ship eventually regained control; left NY Harbor Sunday
- Incident occurred less than two weeks after Baltimore Key Bridge collapse
(NewsNation) — A container ship on Friday lost propulsion control near New York’s Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, less than two weeks after a powerless cargo ship crashed into Baltimore’s Francis Key Scott Bridge.
The U.S. Coast Guard confirmed the 89,000-ton vessel “experienced a loss of propulsion” as it navigated a waterway in New York Harbor, ABC News reports.
According to ABC News, the vessel was assisted by three tugboats, a standard procedure for large ships heading into the Atlantic, until it later regained propulsion.
The ship was anchored just north of the bridge, according to CBS News, it was repaired and left New York Harbor on Sunday.
While the 11,000-foot-long vessel regained control, officials were on alert. Authorities noted that the bridge’s design, featuring protective rock islands around its posts, would likely have averted a catastrophe similar to the March 26 incident in Baltimore, ABC News reported.
Two workers survived, two bodies were found in a submerged pickup and four more men are presumed dead after a container ship plowed into the bridge. Authorities have said the ship lost power. An investigation to better understand the situation is underway.
Crews are working on clearing the wreckage from the collapse.