Crew of ship that smashed into Baltimore bridge could be stranded on board for ... trends now

Crew of the stricken cargo ship that crashed into a Baltimore bridge this morning could be stuck on board for up to two weeks as authorities scramble to clear the wreckage, DailyMail.com can reveal.

The 948-foot-long container collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge shortly after it left its port at 1:26am this morning, sparking a desperate search for eight construction workers who were plunged into the water.

It is thought the ship, a DALI boat operated by Singaporean company Synergy Group, was being crewed by 22 Indian nationals, none of whom are thought to have been seriously hurt in the incident.

But the director of a local mariners’ charity said he feared they could be stranded on board for up to two weeks after part of the bridge collapsed onto the back of the vessel.

Andy Middleton, of the Apostleship of the Sea, said the crew would likely not be able to leave their ship until the debris had been cleared.

Middleton had been helping the men prepare for the voyage in the hours before their horror crash and said he has been in constant contact with them since.

He said his main task was now ensuring the seamen had sufficient supplies to last their possible two-week internment.

‘I was able to reach out to them this morning and make sure that the crew was safe,’ he told DailyMail.com.

‘I’ve been checking in with one crew member throughout the day and he just said that they were “very busy”, probably trying to work out what caused the incident and then once that can be determined may try to repair it.

‘My initial message this morning was to make sure they were ok and that if they need anything, we’ll make every effort to get it to them.

‘They should be fairly-well stocked for food and water because they were embarking on a 28-day voyage.’

Middleton said the men would likely have to remain onboard to monitor the mechanical systems of the ship to ensure it doesn't sink.

He added that they would only be hauled onto dry land if there were signs that the vessel was taking on water.

Middleton said their predicament would last for as long as it took to clear the wreckage of the bridge, which he believes could take anywhere between ten days to a fortnight.

‘Right now there is a part of the deck bed sitting on top of the containers at the back of the vessel,’ he added. ‘I can’t imagine they’ll move the ship until that has been cleared.’

The speed of the clearance operation is likely to have knock-on ramifications for the rest of the American economy, with Joe Biden stating that 15,000 jobs depended on the port, one of the busiest in the world.

The bridge spans the Patapsco River, at the mouth of Baltimore Harbor.

The President vowed to move 'heaven and earth' to get it reopened.

Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul J. Wiedefeld said eight people were filling in potholes on the bridge when it collapsed, and two of them were rescued from the water, with one declining medical treatment and the other being taken to the hospital.