Navigating Danger: The Unfortunate Incident of a Ship’s Loss of Propulsion Near New York’s Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge

A container ship near the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge in New York faced a similar situation to a Baltimore bridge that collapsed just two weeks ago. On Friday night, the 89,000-ton vessel lost propulsion power, causing officials to be on alert. However, unlike the Baltimore incident, the ship was able to eventually regain control and avoid a catastrophe.

The M/V APL Qingdao experienced a loss of propulsion in the Kill Van Kull waterway at around 8:30 PM. The ship was then assisted by three towing vessels to safely anchor outside the navigable channel just north of the Verrazzano Bridge. The vessel, operated by French shipping company CMA CGM, required tugboat escorts to reach safety.

This incident follows the collapse of a bridge in Baltimore that resulted in the death of six construction workers after a cargo ship lost propulsion power and struck a bridge support beam. Representatives for the New York Port Authority, Coast Guard and CMA CGM did not provide immediate comments on the incident but it highlights the potential dangers when ships lose propulsion power near bridges and emphasizes proper preparation and response measures are crucial.