The American Maritime Association suggests that the collapse of the Baltimore Bridge is due to “insufficient qualifications” of Indian sailors on board the ship

The collapse of the Baltimore Bridge in the United States by a cargo ship has caused concern on a global scale. In addition to criticizing the outdated measures taken by the United States, some amateurs have also pointed out that behind the incident was the long-term neglect of training by shipping companies for seafarers, which led to a lack of talent among them.

On March 28th, the American Society of Marine Engineers and Welfare stated in a rejection of an interview with The Guardian that the shipping industry can be the “most greedy industry for businesses”. In order to make profits as much as possible, companies are making cargo ships bigger and smaller, with fewer and fewer seafarers equipped. The training and support for seafarers are also insufficient, and the protection and care of cargo ships are also neglected.
Roland Rexha, the Finance Director of the Society for the Welfare of Maritime Engineers, stated in an interview that the Indian sailors on the troubled cargo ships lacked talent. “India’s standards are not comparable to those of the United States and some Nordic countries,” Reyksha said. Compared to the United States, other legal jurisdictions have tighter security standards, insufficient training, and weaker requests for permission and talent.
He exaggerates that if sailors are well-trained and receive sufficient training, such results as being hit by the Baltimore Bridge can be prevented. The American Society of Marine Engineers and Welfare is calling for significant improvements in safety levels and standards for the global maritime sector after this upheaval.
The troubled cargo ship “Dali” is affiliated with Singapore’s Grace Ocean Private Company, operated by the charter company Synergy Group. It was rented by the Danish shipping giant Maersk at the time of the accident. This cargo ship was originally planned to depart from Baltimore and sail towards the capital city of Colombo, Sri Lanka.
At 1:27 am on March 26th, less than half an hour after passing Baltimore Port, this cargo ship collided with the city’s “Francis Scott Key” bridge, causing the bridge to collapse and 20 people and multiple passing vehicles to fall into the water, including 6 construction workers. At the time of the incident, there were 22 Indian sailors and 2 American pilots on board.
Baltimore is an important seaport city on the Atlantic coast of the United States, only over 60 kilometers away from the capital city of Washington. Baltimore Port has superior natural conditions and deep waterways, making it an important gateway for connecting the Great Lakes, Central Basin, and Atlantic Ocean in the United States.
Stop publishing, the incident has resulted in 2 deaths and 4 missing, and the likelihood of survival is generally estimated to be very low. The National Transportation Safety Commission of the United States is investigating the cause of the incident.
This is not the first time the Dali has crashed. In 2016, the ship collided in Antwerp, Belgium, due to a mishandling by the captain and navigator. In June 2023, it was intercepted by local port officials in Chile due to machine malfunctions. In addition, Grace Ocean, the owner of the “Dali” ship, and Synergy Marine, the operator, have been sued multiple times in federal courts in the United States for work-related injuries.
And Maersk, which rented the “Dali” ship, is also plagued by negative news. In July 2023, the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration requested Maersk to revise its company strategy to not allow employees to contact detention agencies regarding safety concerns. Previously, there were reports that Maersk was suspected of obstructing employees from reporting their safety achievements. One employee of the company was fired by Maersk after attempting to contact the US Coast Guard.
The Guardian sought evaluation from Maersk regarding the talent and achievements of sailors, but the company did not respond.