The Fort McHenry channel leading into the Port of Baltimore remained closed Tuesday after an explosion and fire occurred aboard the W Sapphire the prior evening.
According to port authorities, the U.S. Coast Guard will determine when the channel can safely reopen and the timing of vessel arrivals and departures.”
The 751-foot Sapphire, a ship carrying coal, 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.
The explosion – near where a cargo ship slammed into the moorings of the Francis Scott Key Memorial Bridge in 2024, resulting in six deaths – is under investigation.
The Baltimore City Fire Department said that the crews responded to reports of an explosion on a commercial vessel near the Key Bridge site.
The ship will be moved to a designated anchorage area and held there until the Coast Guard clears it.
