[ad_1]
Divers are operating with near-zero visibility in a salvage mission where one wrong move could be catastrophic.
BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaBaltimore bridge salvage: ‘This is a game of Jenga you don’t want to lose’Published55 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage caption, Shifting debris could become dangerous for salvage crews above and below the water’s surface.By Bernd Debusmann JrBBC News, Baltimore US Army Colonel Estee Pinchasin looks out at the thousands of tonnes of twisted, broken steel and concrete jutting out from the dark waters of Maryland’s Patapsco river, and delivers her assessment: an “unforgiving mangled mess”.”That’s the best way to describe this,” the fatigue-clad veteran says from the deck of an Army-operated salvage vessel, the Reynolds. “It’s hard to explain steel that is cantilevered, bent and smashed with so much force.”The “mess” Col Pinchasin has been tasked with clearing is the tattered remnants of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, strewn around – and embedded into – the Dali, a massive 948ft (289m) cargo ship that now sits motionless under an expanse of shredded metal, with partially crushed shipping containers hanging from its sides.The mangled mess is self-explanatory. But why unforgiving? Because, put simply, anything and everything here is a potential threat to the lives of salvage crews.The Dali’s collision with the bridge in the early hours of 26 March brought the structure down in a matter of seconds, leaving six workers dead and the ship stuck. This has prompted a huge response that has included the US Army Corps of Engineers, Navy, Coast Guard, Maryland authorities and specialist private firms. The effort aims to unblock the 700ft (213m) wide and 50ft (15m) deep shipping channel, re-floating and removing the Dali and clearing whatever remains of the estimated 3,000 to 4,000 tonnes of debris from the wider Patapsco. “Those things are happening simultaneously,” Col Pinchasin, the Army Corps of Engineers Baltimore district commander, told the BBC. “But the priority is for the channel, because we need to get those people back to work and help all the businesses that are affected.” The port is one of the busiest on the East Coast of the United States and a key regional hub for goods including steel, aluminium and agricultural equipment. It is used by car-makers including General Motors and Honda. As many as 15,000 jobs depend on it, including 8,000 directly employed there. Image source, US Army Corps of EngineersImage caption, Sonar images taken by the US Navy show vast quantities of debris sitting underwater (highlighted in yellow)The mission has turned the area into a hub of activity, buzzing with small US Navy sonar vessels and police boats, workers testing spark-emitting hydraulic shears, and – so far – seven huge crane barges, including the Chesapeake, a 1,000-tonne capacity crane once used by the CIA to recover a Soviet submarine from the bottom of the Pacific. Piece by piece, debris will eventually be disassembled and lifted onto barges to be taken away. “With every layer of debris they remove, they have to go back in and survey the wreckage to see if it reacted the way we thought it was going to,” Col Pinchasin said. “Are there any instabilities? Are they things we missed? What did we not see?” “They need to have discipline and be very self-critical.” The dangerous work of making these determinations has so far fallen on teams of divers who inspect both the ship and the vast, unseen debris field beneath the surface. They are often unable to see more than a foot or two in the muddy brown waters of the Patapsco, forcing them to be guided by operators in nearby surface vessels. Their assessments, Col Pinchasin said, are essential to ensuring that larger pieces of debris can be dismantled and removed safely. Lost power, mayday call and crash before Baltimore bridge collapse What will happen to the 21 sailors stranded on the Dali? “The pieces might be mangled, but there’s a lot of force pent-up in how they’re sitting right now,” she said, gesturing at a large chunk of metal protruding from the shipping channel. “If you were to cut one of those things, and there’s tension there you don’t know about and it snaps, people can be in a lot of danger,” she added. “We need to know what’s connected, and that’s why the divers have to go in. They have to feel and reach to verify… but it’s like they have their eyes closed.” A separate team of divers, drawn from the ranks of the Maryland State Police, stands ready to dive if and when investigators believe they have found the remains of the three men still missing from the collapse. The continued search for those men, she added, continues to weigh heavily on the minds of those involved in the salvage operation. “These are families that did not get to celebrate Easter together,” she said. “This is very solemn ground.” Those involved in the operation and maritime experts say that the scope of the operation has few, if any comparisons. An initial $60m (£47.4m) in emergency funds have been earmarked to cover the work. The true cost may be much higher, with one politician, Maryland Democrat David Trone, telling CBS that the cost could eventually rise to $1bn. “The scale is the biggest challenge, but also the complexity,” said Captain Dan Hoban, a British Royal Engineer who was on a routine exchange with the US Army Corps of Engineers when the bridge collapsed. “It’s a really messy situation. From an engineering perspective, we are trying to figure out where the cuts are going to be made and then incorporate that into a lifting plan,” added Capt Hoban, who has been helping with the mission. “But it needs to be safe for all those operating out there,” he added. “Everyone wants to get going quickly, but trying to do so safely and efficiently. We don’t want to create a more difficult situation. That’s the key.” Image caption, Large crane barges are also serving as launch pads for extensive dive operations around the DaliPeter Ford, a long time merchant mariner whose firm SkyRock Advisors specialises in infrastructure projects, said that the “intricacies” of the Baltimore operation made it considerably more hazardous than other complex operations, such as that which freed the Ever Given, after it got stuck in the Suez Canal in 2021. “This is beyond anything we’ve seen,” he said. “It’s all going to be hard. It’s the mixture of the infrastructure above and below water and the fact that debris is literally draped over and balancing on the vessel.” Once salvage crews begin cutting larger pieces of the debris, Mr Ford predicts that the constant shifting and movement of the debris and the vessel alike can become a potentially dangerous challenge. “God forbid that somebody miscalculates and this very sharp steel ends up cutting into a part of the ship where the bunker fuel is, or some sort of hazardous commodities on the vessel are breached and leaked into the ocean,” he said. “This is a game of Jenga you don’t want to lose.”Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Workers plan to use specialised cutting tools and hydraulic sheers to remove parts of the Key Bridge.For now, the salvage operation is still in its early stages and is largely focused on assessing the scene and the bridge, removing smaller pieces and have so far opened smaller temporary shipping channels to allow limited maritime traffic to pass through the area. By the end of April, the Army Corps of Engineers plans to open a limited access channel 280ft (80m) wide and 35ft (10m) deep to allow one-way traffic for barge containers and some roll-on-roll-off vessels that carry cars and equipment. The entire, permanent channel is expected to be clear and ready for use by the end of May, the “unified command” responsible for the operation said in a statement on 4 April. That target date, however, may change because of the weather or unforeseen problems with the clearance operations. “We have to go slow to go fast. Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast,” she said. “This is a long haul.” This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, Watch: A view from inside the ship that hit a Baltimore bridgeRelated TopicsBaltimoreMarylandUnited StatesMore on this storyWhat will happen to the 21 sailors stranded on the Dali?Published4 days agoLost power, mayday call and crash before Baltimore bridge collapsePublished26 MarchNo contaminants in river near Baltimore bridgePublished1 day agoTop StoriesIsrael urged to publish full report on aid team deathsPublished2 hours agoSix months on, how close is Israel to eliminating Hamas?Published3 hours agoWatch: Moment New York landmarks shaken by earthquake. VideoWatch: Moment New York landmarks shaken by earthquakePublished9 hours agoFeaturesStorm Kath ‘fury’ and stats staff ‘strike for WFH’Inside IDF’s detailed briefing on aid convoy attackWhere does Israel get its weapons?New Yorkers mostly unshaken by rare earthquakeTracking the world’s biggest iceberg as it drifts towards oblivionPrince Andrew’s infamous BBC interview… as dramatised by NetflixKacey Musgraves: ‘The tortured musician cliché is a farce’My return home – 30 years after Rwanda’s genocideThe world’s eclipse chasers arrive in North AmericaElsewhere on the BBCIt’s make or break timeAnother set of eager entrepreneurs hope to impress the fearsome panelAttributioniPlayerBruce Lee as you’ve never seen him beforeTen defining pictures throw a unique lens onto an extraordinary lifeAttributioniPlayerAmbition, money and deceptionThe scandalous true story of Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos, starring Amanda SeyfriedAttributioniPlayerFrom Starman to film star…How did the silver screen inspire David Bowie?AttributioniPlayerMost Read1Sacha Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher file for divorce2Driver gets 11 years for death of twerking couple3Storm Kath ‘fury’ and stats staff ‘strike for WFH’4Ibiza locals living in cars as party island sees rents soar5Great-grandad, 111, is world’s oldest living man6DJ Greg James apologises for glass eye comment7I reported explicit messages to police, says MP8Where in the UK can you see Monday’s solar eclipse?9Six months on, how close is Israel to eliminating Hamas?10Taylor Swift superfans caught in £250 ticket scam
Related Posts
BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaCould you be a fair juror for Trump? We asked New YorkersThis video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Could you be a fair juror for Trump? We asked New YorkersCloseJury selection is under way in Donald Trump’s New York City hush-money trial, with hundreds of people selected as potential jurors.They must answer a questionnaire to determine, among other things, if they can be impartial about the former president.The BBC asked some of those questions to Manhattan residents.SubsectionUS & CanadaPublished50 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRead descriptionExplore moreCould you be a fair juror for Trump? We asked New Yorkers. Video, 00:02:16Could you be a fair juror for Trump? We asked New YorkersSubsectionUS & CanadaPublished50 minutes ago2:16Up Next. A view from inside court for Trump’s blockbuster trial. Video, 00:01:15A view from inside court for Trump’s blockbuster trialSubsectionUS & CanadaPublished19 hours agoUp Next1:15Press, police and protesters: Outside Trump courthouse. Video, 00:01:12Press, police and protesters: Outside Trump courthouseSubsectionUS & CanadaPublished1 day ago1:12Trump’s ‘perp walk’ moment explained in 60 seconds. Video, 00:01:00Trump’s ‘perp walk’ moment explained in 60 secondsSubsectionUS & CanadaPublished31 March 20231:00Editor’s recommendationsCopenhagen stock exchange engulfed by huge fire. Video, 00:01:03Copenhagen stock exchange engulfed by huge fireSubsectionEuropePublished12 hours ago1:03Moment spire collapses at Copenhagen stock exchange. Video, 00:00:43Moment spire collapses at Copenhagen stock exchangeSubsectionEuropePublished11 hours ago0:43Dormice ladders built in the Forest of Dean. Video, 00:00:51Dormice ladders built in the Forest of DeanSubsectionGloucestershirePublished1 day ago0:51Liz Truss: The world was safer under Trump. Video, 00:00:35Liz Truss: The world was safer under TrumpSubsectionUK PoliticsPublished22 hours ago0:35Huge fires blaze along Miami highway. Video, 00:00:33Huge fires blaze along Miami highwaySubsectionUS & CanadaPublished12 hours ago0:33Watch: Georgia opposition leader punches MP during debate. Video, 00:00:34Watch: Georgia opposition leader punches MP during debateSubsectionEuropePublished21 hours ago0:34Wheelie bins fly and a caravan overturns in strong wind. Video, 00:00:24Wheelie bins fly and a caravan overturns in strong windSubsectionStoke & StaffordshirePublished1 day ago0:24Hannah Waddingham calls out demanding paparazzi. Video, 00:00:28Hannah Waddingham calls out demanding paparazziSubsectionEntertainment & ArtsPublished1 day ago0:28Endangered California condor chicks hatched in LA. Video, 00:01:28Endangered California condor chicks hatched in LASubsectionUS & CanadaPublished1 day ago1:28
[ad_1] Jury selection is under way in Donald Trump’s New York City hush-money trial, with hundreds of people selected as potential jurors. They must answer a questionnaire to determine, among…
BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityUKEnglandN. IrelandScotlandAlbaWalesCymruIsle of ManGuernseyJerseyLocal NewsFirst product of Meghan’s lifestyle brand revealedPublished11 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, ReutersImage caption, Meghan pictured at a polo match in Florida last weekBy Sean CoughlanRoyal correspondentA first glimpse of the new business venture from the Duchess of Sussex has been teased on social media, with pictures of a jar of strawberry jam.In a bid to preserve a sense of mystery, the jam from the new American Riviera Orchard brand seemed to be spread among friends and influencers.Fashion designer Tracy Robbins posted a picture of the jam on Instagram.It was numbered “17 of 50”, suggesting the number of recipients of this first fruit of the new business.The arrival of Meghan’s new California-based lifestyle brand had been signalled on social media last month and this suggests that it will be selling food products.What do we know about Meghan’s new brand?Five things about Harry and Meghan’s brand revampWhy did Harry and Meghan leave the Royal Family?There seemed to be have been something of a re-launch for Meghan and husband Prince Harry’s brands and businesses this year, beginning with the overhaul of their regal-looking website under the sussex.com label.Their latest projects seem to be moving away from a previous focus on their time as working royals, such as their Netflix film Harry and Meghan and Prince Harry’s memoir Spare.The hint about the strawberry jam from Meghan’s American Riviera Orchard brand seems to fit with the couple’s latest Netflix plans.Meghan is going to launch a Netflix show which will “celebrate the joys of cooking and gardening, entertaining, and friendship”.Prince Harry will be involved in another Netflix venture showing the inside track on the world of polo. That’s the equestrian sport, not the mints.Delfina Blaquier, married to Prince Harry’s polo-playing friend Nacho Figueras, also posted a picture of the new jam, with hers labelled “10 of 50”.The social media trail for American Riviera Orchard evokes a sense of the couple’s home in California – and this soft launch for the jam show pictures of the jars in a sunny basket of lemons.It’s not known how much items from the new lifestyle brand will cost. Although there are already plenty of other royals getting into jams. Visitors to the gift shops in royal palaces can get a Buckingham Palace Strawberry Preserve for £3.95 or Windsor Castle Fine Cut Seville Orange Marmalade, also for £3.95.On both sides of the Atlantic they seem to be conserving their finances.Related TopicsUK Royal FamilyMeghan, Duchess of SussexMore on this storyWhat we know about Meghan’s regal lifestyle brandPublished16 MarchMeghan launches surprise new lifestyle brandPublished14 MarchTop StoriesMPs back smoking ban for those born after 2009Published8 minutes agoMuslim student loses school prayer ban challengePublished2 hours agoBowen: Iran’s attack on Israel offers Netanyahu a lifelinePublished7 hours agoFeaturesJeremy Bowen: Iran’s attack on Israel offers Netanyahu a lifelineIranians on edge as leaders say ‘Tel Aviv is our battleground’A really, really big election with nearly a billion votersWhat is the smoking ban and how will it work?Martin Tyler: I nearly lost my voice foreverWho are the millions of Britons not working?How to register to vote for the local elections ahead of midnight deadlinePlaying Coachella after cancer emotional, says DJHow the Alec Baldwin fatal film set shooting unfoldedElsewhere on the BBCFrom weight loss to prolonging lifeIs intermittent fasting actually good for you? James Gallagher investigatesAttributionSoundsCould Nina shake up the unspoken rules of modern dating?Brand new comedy about love, friendship and being your own selfAttributioniPlayerWill the UK introduce tough anti-tobacco laws?Under new plans, anyone turning 15 from this year would be banned from buying cigarettesAttributionSoundsCan William Wisting find the truth?The Norwegian detective returns, tackling more grisly cold casesAttributioniPlayerMost Read1Nursery boss ‘killed baby she strapped to beanbag’2Birmingham Airport flights disrupted by incident3Muslim student loses school prayer ban challenge4First product of Meghan’s lifestyle brand revealed5MPs back smoking ban for those born after 20096Police told to shut down right-wing Brussels conference7Historic Copenhagen stock exchange goes up in flames8Bowen: Iran’s attack on Israel offers Netanyahu a lifeline9Marten a ‘lioness’ who ‘loved her cubs’, court told10Sons of McCartney and Lennon release joint single
[ad_1] The jars of strawberry jam, labelled America Riviera Orchard, have been shared with friends and influencers.