Ship ‘explosion’ near Key Bridge: What we know of the cargo vessel that caught fire in Baltimore

Liberian-flagged bulk carrier W SAPPHIRE caught fire in Baltimore’s Patapsco River, as per radar information. It had left For Port Louis on Monday.

A bulk carrier caught fire in the Patapsco River near the Francis Scott Key Bridge site in Baltimore. Maritime radar information shows that the vessel is W SAPPHIRE, a bulk carrier currently flagged under Liberia. The fire not been confirmed as an explosion by the Baltimore City Fire Department.

Representational.(Unsplash)

The incident happened off the Baltimore Harbour off the Chesapeake Bay in Baltimore City. No one was injured, CBS confirmed in a report citing the authorities in Baltimore. According to city officials, under-deck fire caused smoke to billow into the air.

Radar records show that the ship's call sign is D5AF7, with an IMO number of 9605645 and an MMSI number of 636023364. Here's a screenshot of the radar information of the ship.

The vessel departed from Baltimore on Monday, 18 August at 5:55 p.m. and was en route to Port Louis, Mauritius, with an estimated arrival on September 23.

A video of the moment the ship caught fire surfaced on social media. It showed flames blow up from the cargo vessel, sparking speculation that it could be an explosion. It was not immediately clear what caused the fire.

Here's the video:

In its latest update on the situation, the Baltimore Fire Department said that the fire has been contained and the ship was removed from the area.

The Key Bridge was the site of a tragic event on March 26, 2024, when the container ship MV Dali, a Singapore-flagged vessel, lost power and struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge. The massive collision caused the bridge to collapse within seconds, sending vehicles and construction workers into the Patapsco River.