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MÆRSK

Danish shipping giant Maersk chartered vessel in US bridge collision

A container ship which on Tuesday crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in US city Baltimore was chartered by Danish freight giant Maersk, the company has confirmed.

Published: 26 March 2024 16:03 CET
Danish shipping giant Maersk chartered vessel in US bridge collision
Danish shipping giant Maersk has confirmed it chartered the Dali cargo vessel which crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge causing it to collapse in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S., March 26th, 2024. Photo: Julia Nikhinson/Reuters/Ritzau Scanpix

The bridge collapsed in the early hours of Tuesday local time after being hit by the container ship Dali.

Maersk has confirmed in a written statement to Danish newswire Ritzau that it commissioned the container.

“We are horrified at what has happened in Baltimore and our thoughts go to all those affected,” the company wrote.

“We can confirm that the container ship Dali, under control of the charter ship company Synergy Group, was on a limited Maersk charter and was loaded with Maersk customers’ loads,” it stated.

The ship itself is owned by the company Grace Ocean Private, and operated by Synergy Marine Group.

“Chartering” of the ship by Maersk means the Danish company’s business goods were on board, but not its staff. It also means Maersk is not the owner of the ship.

The Dali was leaving the port at Baltimore bound for Colombo in Sri Lanka before suddenly changing course and colliding with the bridge.

Video footage from the scene shows the bridge quickly collapsing into the Patapsco river immediately after the collision.

Maersk told Ritzau it has no further comment.

Emergency services in Baltimore were looking for casualties on Tuesday with up to 20 people having possibly fallen into the water, according to reports by US media CNN.

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BUSINESS

Maersk profits plummet as Yemeni attacks close off Red Sea route

Danish shipping giant Maersk posted a huge drop in net profit for the first quarter on Thursday as Yemeni rebel attacks are forcing it to avoid the vital Red Sea route.

Published: 2 May 2024 10:06 CEST
Maersk profits plummet as Yemeni attacks close off Red Sea route

Maersk reported a net profit of $177 million in the first three months of the year, a 13-fold drop from the same period last year. Turnover fell 13 percent to $12.4 billion, slightly lower than forecast by analysts surveyed by financial data firm FactSet.

The company, however, raised its outlook for the full year, citing higher demand and increased rates and costs due to the supply chain disruptions in the Red Sea.

It now expects an underlying core profit ranging between $4 billion and $6 billion, up from $1 billion-$6 billion previously.

“We had a positive start to the year with a first quarter developing precisely as we expected,” Maersk chief executive Vincent Clerc said in a statement.

“Demand is trending towards the higher end of our market growth guidance and conditions in the Red Sea remain entrenched,” he said.

“This not only supported a recovery in the first quarter compared to the previous quarter, but also provide an improved outlook for the coming quarters, as we now expect these conditions to stay with us for most of the year.”

Iran-backed Huthi rebels, who control the Yemeni capital Sanaa and much of the country’s Red Sea coast, have launched dozens of attacks on ships since November, claiming solidarity with Palestinians caught up in the Israel-Hamas war.

The United States in December announced a maritime security initiative to protect Red Sea shipping from the attacks, which have forced commercial vessels to divert from the route that normally carries 12 percent of global trade.

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