A Cargo Ship Lost Control Dangerously Close To A New York Bridge And Had To Be Baled Out By Tugboats

Less than two weeks after a massive cargo ship caused carnage when it hit a bridge in Baltimore, a second enormous vessel has come dangerously close to a bridge in New York after it lost “some of its” controls in the city’s harbor.

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The 1,100-container capacity APL Qingdao lost some of its controls late Friday night and had to be rescued from the New York Harbor by the U.S. Coastguard, reports CBS News. The ship, which weighs almost 90,000 tons, reported that it had run into issues around 8:30pm on Friday.

Tug boats were then called out to assist the struggling vessel, which ran into problems dangerously close to the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge that connects the New York boroughs of Brooklyn and Staten Island. Once the ship had been secured, workers could climb onboard and make repairs, reports Business Insider. As the site explains:

“Coast Guard Vessel Traffic Service New York received a report from the M/V APL Qingdao around 8:30 p.m., Friday, that the vessel had experienced a loss of propulsion in the Kill Van Kull waterway. The vessel regained propulsion and was assisted to safely anchor in Stapleton Anchorage, outside of the navigable channel just north of the Verrazano Bridge, by three towing vessels,” The New York Post first reported the Coast Guard said.

Once it had been towed to safety, the ship underwent repairs and checks to ensure it could carry out its voyage. Following the checks, CBS adds that it safely departed New York Harbor on Sunday morning.

The APL ship ground to a halt in New York. Photo: Feature China/Future Publishing (Getty Images)

The ship, which is operated by French logistics company CMA CGM, is now sailing down the East Coast to the port of Norfolk in Virginia, according to online tracker Vessel Finder. It’s one of more than 600 ships operated by CMA CGM and has traveled more than 180,000 nautical miles so far this year.

APL Qingdao’s close call with the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge came just 12 days after an enormous container ship hit a bridge in Baltimore. The Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed after it was hit by an enormous container ship called the Dali. The collapse blocked the port and has impacted industries across America, including the automotive world.