Port of Auckland says the disaster that befell Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge could not happen here.
Container vessels do not pass under Auckland Harbour Bridge or travel near it, a port spokeswoman said.
The container ship Dali lost power and rammed into a major bridge in Baltimore.
That impact caused the Francis Scott Key Bridge span to buckle into the river below, plunging a construction crew and several vehicles into dangerously cold waters.
Rescuers pulled out two people, but at least six others were missing and presumed dead.
The only cargo vessel piloted under the Auckland bridge is the ship that brings raw sugar to the Chelsea Sugar factory, the port spokeswoman said.
It’s called a “handy-sized” bulk carrier at 185m long and calls once every six weeks or so.
In contrast, the Dali is 300m long.
The sugar boat only gets moved under the bridge on a flat tide, and there are clear procedures in place for its movement, she said.
The Auckland Transport harbourmaster was responsible for the safety of vessel travel under the bridge.
The Herald during a sugar factory visit last year photographed the Centurion Juktas, which according to the Marine Traffic site is 199.98m long and designated a bulk carrier.
A Port of Tauranga spokeswoman said no ships travel near the Tauranga harbour bridge and vessels are under tug boat supervision from the harbour entrance.
In Baltimore, Jeffrey Pritzker, executive vice president of Brawner Builders, said the construction crew was working in the middle of the bridge’s span when the crash happened and crumbled the bridge.
The bodies of the workers were not yet recovered, but they are presumed to have died given the water’s depth and the amount of time elapsed since the crash.
The container ship’s crew issued a mayday call moments before the crash took down the Francis Scott Key Bridge, enabling authorities to limit vehicle traffic on the span, Maryland’s governor said.
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