by WorldTribune Staff, August 19, 2025 Real World News
An explosion and fire aboard a ship carrying coal on Monday forced the closing of the Fort McHenry channel leading into the Port of Baltimore.
The 751-foot W-Sapphire sent out a radio call at about 6:30 p.m. Monday stating there had been an onboard explosion on the vessel, according to the Coast Guard, WMAR 2 News reported.
The ship was outbound from the Baltimore Harbor and just south of Fort Carroll when the explosion occurred. There were 23 crew members and two pilots on board at the time, none of whom were injured.
Officials with the Port of Baltimore said Tuesday around 3:15 p.m. that the channel was reopened for traffic in and out of the Port of Baltimore.
It was the second incident in two years that resulted in the channel being shut down.
The W-Sapphire incident occurred near where a cargo ship slammed into the moorings of the Francis Scott Key Memorial Bridge in 2024.
The March 26, 2024 incident occurred when the massive container ship Dali lost power and collided with a supporting column of the bridge. Six construction workers, who were repairing potholes at the time, died when the structure crumbled. The collapse brought months-long closures at Baltimore’s port and caused severe traffic congestion, issues that reportedly persist across the region today.
The Baltimore City Fire Department said that the crews responded to reports of an explosion on a commercial vessel near the Key Bridge site on Monday.
The ship will be moved to a designated anchorage area and held there until the Coast Guard clears it.
Baltimore channel closed again, this time after explosion on vessel added by Editor Two on
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