Coal carrying cargo ship explodes in Baltimore Harbor near site of Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse
(August 19, 2025) An explosion aboard a cargo ship in the same area where Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed last year rocked the murky waters of the Baltimore Harbor yesterday evening. The coal carrying cargo ship caught fire after the explosion sending large plumes of smoke wafting into the air, according to NBC News.
The U.S. Coast Guard along with local partners responded to the site of the explosion that occurred aboard the 751-foot merchant vessel “W-Sapphire” in the Harbor around 6:30 p.m. The Baltimore City Fire Department described the location of the fiery explosion as being in the “Patapsco River near the former Key Bridge site.”
Although about 25 people were reported to be aboard the cargo ship at the time of the explosion, no injuries have been reported at this time, and the cause of the explosion is under investigation. The Coast Guard has established a 2,000-yard safety zone around the incident location, spanning from the Key Bridge outward. As of late yesterday, the fire aboard the ship had been extinguished and plans for the vessel were being formulated.
The W-Sapphire was outbound from Baltimore Harbor with 23 crewmembers and 2 pilots aboard and was south of Fort Carroll at the time of the explosion. The report stated the vessel was transporting coal. Watchstanders issued an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast notice to mariners and dispatched responders to the scene to assist while coordinating the response with local port partners.
This morning, ABC-2 News (WMAR) in Baltimore reported that the Fort McHenry channel leading into the Port of Baltimore remained closed Tuesday morning following the explosion. According to the Port of Baltimore, the channel will remain closed until the U.S. Coast Guard determines it can reopen safely.
For more on the story, see the video below.
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(Source: United States Coast Guard)
Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today
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