For over two weeks, the Dali ship crew remains on board the vessel, sparking curiosity among several individuals.
Dali Ship Crew Remains on Board
Through email statements, representatives of the Baltimore International Seafarers' Center and the Key Bridge response team said that the anchorage of the crew of the Dali ship presently comes as part of their day job.
Rev. Joshua Messick, the Seafarers' Center's executive director, explains that the ship is still considered a vessel that works. It is not that the crew was not allowed to go off. Instead, they are working with involved agencies for the cleanup and recovery efforts.
A representative of the Key Bridge response team of the Maryland Port Authority echoed Messick's sentiments.
A spokesperson also shared that the Dali crew remains engaged in maintaining the ship's current status, supporting the mission operations of the Unified Command, and cooperating with current investigations. The representative also shared that the crew was prepared to embark on a 35-day voyage and had ample supplies for support. However, their 35-da7 journey would have covered their trip back to South Asia, where the crew and the ship are from.
Is the Crew Okay?
Following the collapse of the bridge, the crew was primarily uninjured. According to Synergy, the firm in Singapore that owns the ship, one crew member had to be brought out for minor treatment after the crash. The crew member has since returned.
As they were anchored to Baltimore Harbor, the ship's crew reportedly had access to religious accommodation, morale-boosting activities, and mental health resources. This may have been made available presumably to deal with the crash's fallout and extended isolation in foreign territories.
The representative of the response team notes that they have an open communication line with the crew through the ship's representative, adding that they appear to have good health and spirits.
According to Andrew Middleton, the director of the "Apostleship of the Sea" Catholic ministry, his organization has prepared care packages of DVDs, Wi-Fi hotspots, SIM cards, and snacks for the crew. He also shares that the ship line would provide more if the crew ran out of water and food.
It remains unclear whether the crew or the Singapore-based ship itself can return to their home. In the meantime, they stay stuck in Baltimore Harbor. Former sailor Chirag Bahri, now the international operations manager at the International Seafarers' Welfare and Assistance Network, says it may take months for the Dali ship crew to return home.
Though the crew is covered by the International Transport Workers' Federation contract via the Singapore Maritime Officers Union, it is ultimately up to American authorities to determine when the crew may leave Baltimore.
It was also recently reported that there have been no plans for Dali's crew to be disembarked. Any other plan is unlikely to be placed unless the ship is moved or brought out of the water. The Coast Guard also recently shared that moving the ship comes second to the reopening of the shipping channel and Baltimore port. It also takes grave paperwork to disembark crews of foreign nationals from shipping vessels in the ports of the US.
RELATED ARTICLE: Baltimore Bridge Collapses After Cargo Ship Collision; Experts Delve Deeper Into Possible Structural Flaws, Role of Ship Pilots
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