All 21 crew members of the ship involved in the Baltimore bridge collision remain stranded on board after seven weeks.
The crew, consisting of 20 men from India and one from Sri Lanka, had their phones confiscated by the FBI following the incident.
The 300-meter-long cargo ship named Dali lost steering control due to blackouts and struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26.
This collision resulted in the collapse of part of the bridge, causing seven construction workers to fall into the Patapsco River, with only one survivor.
Recently, authorities demolished portions of the bridge structure using explosives to free the trapped cargo ship, operated by a Singapore-based company.
However, the crew members continue to be unable to disembark, with several visas having expired.
Gwee Guo Dua, representing the Singapore Maritime Officers Union, emphasized the crew’s declining morale and urged authorities to grant them shore leave and return their confiscated phones.
Jennifer Homendy, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, acknowledged that the duration the crew has spent onboard is unprecedented.
The collision occurred around 1:30 am when the cargo ship, bound for Sri Lanka, struck a support pier of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
The aftermath of the collision was captured in dramatic footage showing the bridge collapsing seconds after impact.
The ship’s deck, crowded with cargo, was strewn with wreckage from the bridge. Authorities have likened the scene to a movie disaster.
Emergency response teams, including dive teams, worked urgently in what was declared a Level 1 mass casualty event, rescuing two individuals from the water.
One person declined medical attention, while the other was transported to a hospital in serious condition.
