An explosion rocked a cargo ship carrying coal in Baltimore, causing a fire and sending a stream of smoke into the sky but injuring nobody, authorities said Monday evening.
Coast Guard crews and firefighters from the city of Baltimore were among those who responded, and the fire was extinguished on the still-moving vessel, Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class Matthew West said.
The cause of the blast and subsequent fire was under investigation, he said. Video showed black smoke still billowing from the vessel, which authorities said is named W-Sapphire.
The cargo ship was carrying coal in a channel outbound from Baltimore Harbor near the site of last year's Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse, West said.
In a statement, the Baltimore City Fire Department described the location as being in the "Patapsco River near the former Key Bridge site."
It said that 23 people were on board the 751 "bulk carrier" and that none reported injury. The vessel, however, was "showing signs of damage consistent with a fire and explosion."
The Coast Guard and the fire department said the incident was reported about 6:30 p.m.
Authorities were maintaining a 500-yard safety zone around the cargo ship. That could preclude vessel traffic through the main shipping channel, which has been described as being 700 feet wide.
On March 26, 2024, a cargo ship drifted into the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing a partial collapse and killing six people, including road workers who had been atop the structure.
