Jerry Jackson/The Baltimore Banner via AP
Jerry Jackson/The Baltimore Banner via AP ( 1 /2)
BALTIMORE (AP) — Investigators on Tuesday were trying to determine what caused an explosion aboard a cargo ship laden with coal as it departed Baltimore’s harbor for East Africa.
Officials said no one was injured in the blast Monday evening, which prompted a mayday call when it was reported near the site of last year’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse . Video of the explosion showed flames shooting high into the air, followed by a large plume of dark smoke billowing over the Patapsco River.
The Port of Baltimore’s main shipping channel was closed Tuesday while crews worked to locate a hatch from the ship that detached during the explosion and fell into the water, officials said.
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