On March 26, a Singaporean-registered cargo ship collided with Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge. The ship had lost power while cruising down the crowded Patapsco river and struck a pillar supporting the bridge, instantly collapsing the majority of it. This was shocking news to all Americans, and many sought for answers as to how this could have happened.

So, what did truly happen? The cargo ship Dali—named after Spanish artist Salvador Dali—underwent engine maintenance the morning before the collision occurred. When the ship left port, the ship was functioning as normal, and the crew brought the ship up to maximum cruising speed for the river. Shortly after, the ship unexpectedly lost power. The crew tried to lose momentum by dropping anchor and steering the ship’s rudders, but Dali was moving too fast for the crew to stop. At around 1:27 a.m., a mayday call was issued, which alerted authorities near the bridge. These authorities were able to quickly block traffic from crossing the bridge, but did not have enough time to evacuate a construction crew working on the bridge, and, two minutes later, Dali struck a supportive beam of Key Bridge, collapsing it.

Eight people fell into the water, with only two able to escape. Four bodies have been found by divers, with the other two people presumed dead. The victims were originally from the countries of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, and were participating members. The FBI is currently investigating the catastrophe, with the main focus being put on the source of the power outage. Hopefully, the root of the issue will be found and prevented from ever happening again.