An explosion aboard the coal-carrying MV W-Sapphire in Baltimore’s harbor caused a temporary closure of the Fort McHenry Federal Channel on August 18. The explosion blew a hatch off of the ship and into the water. However, no one was injured aboard the 751-foot vessel, which was en route to East Africa. The ship was due to arrive in Mauritius in a month.
“The U. S. Coast Guard is the lead agency in the response and will determine when the channel can safely reopen, as well as the timing of vessel arrivals and departures,” port officials said in a news release.
The incident occurred near the site of last year’s fatal Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse, and the cause of the explosion is currently under investigation. The channel was reopened by the following day.