VIDEO | Bulk carrier rocked by blast in Maryland's Baltimore Harbor

The US Coast Guard and local partners are responding to reports of an explosion aboard the 751-foot (229-metre) bulk carrier W-Sapphire in Baltimore Harbor in Maryland on Monday, August 18.

Responders from Coast Guard Sector Maryland – National Capital Region were despatched to the area to assist. No injuries have been reported at this time and the cause of the explosion is under investigation.

The coast guard has established a 2,000-yard (1,800-metre) safety zone around the incident location, spanning from the Francis Scott Key Bridge to Brewerton Angle Channel LB “14”.

Reports state the fire has been extinguished and plans for the vessel are being formulated.

At approximately 18:30 local time on Monday, Sector Maryland – National Capital Region watchstanders received a call over VHF channel 16 from W-Sapphire stating their had been an explosion aboard the vessel.

W-Sapphire was outbound from Baltimore Harbor with 23 crewmembers and two pilots aboard and was south of Fort Carroll at the time of the explosion.

The report stated the vessel was transporting coal.

Watchstanders issued an urgent marine information broadcast notice to mariners and despatched responders to the scene to assist while coordinating the response with local port partners.

Involved in the response so far are Coast Guard Station Curtis Bay response boat crews, a Coast Guard Station Annapolis response boat crew, Sector Maryland – National Capital Region responders, Baltimore Fire Department personnel, and Maryland Department of Natural Resources Police personnel.

Local media reported that, at time of the explosion, W-Sapphire was near the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which had suffered a catastrophic collapse that left six people dead after being struck by the Singapore-flagged containership Dali on March 26, 2024.