An explosion has been reported on a cargo ship traveling through the outbound shipping lane of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor near the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge.
NEW – Cargo ship explodes near Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland. pic.twitter.com/oQKld5xY4R
— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) August 19, 2025
According to shipping expert Sal Mercogliano, the cargo ship MV W Sapphire “suffered an explosion in its forward hold” and was “fully loaded” at the time of the incident.
MV W Sapphire, outbound from Baltimore near the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge, suffered an explosion in its forward hold.
The ship has been escorted off Fort Howard and fire and @USCG vessels are on scene.
W Sapphire is a fully loaded bulk carrier sailing to Mauritius. pic.twitter.com/Vyn9oWQIjR
— Sal Mercogliano (WGOW Shipping) 🚢⚓🐪🚒🏴☠️ (@mercoglianos) August 18, 2025
Mercogliano said the W Sapphire “had just departed from the CSX Curtis Bay coal piers in Baltimore” and suggested “this may have been a coal explosion in the forward hold.”
Baltimore City Fire spokesperson John Marsh told local station WBAL-TV that the explosion occurred around 6:28 p.m. local time. No details were provided about the source of the blast.
*Developing…
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