BALTIMORE — A shipboard explosion has damaged a coal ship in Baltimore near the site where another cargo ship crashed into the Key Bridge.
No one was hurt in the blast onboard the W-Sapphire, which was carrying a crew of 23 people, WBAL reported.
The 751-foot ship was carrying a full load of coal and had just left the CSX Coal Dock when the explosion occurred Monday night, The Baltimore Sun and WBAL reported. It had two pilots on board at the time.
WTOP said the ship “combusted in a fireball,” and video showed black smoke streaming from the vessel as it sailed on the Patapsco River.
An explosion aboard a cargo vessel in Patapsco River caused no injuries Late Monday and is under investigation, Baltimore and federal officials said. https://t.co/MtztLF0sSg
— The Baltimore Sun (@baltimoresun) August 19, 2025
Baltimore City fire spokesperson John Marsh said that there were “signs of damage consistent with a fire and explosion.”
The 2012-built ship was en route to Port Louis, Mauritius and was sailing under a Liberian flag, according to The New York Times.
The ship was still floating after the fire, which is under investigation, WTOP reported.
The ship was being helped by tugboats and will be stored in “a designated anchorage area” until cleared by the U.S. Coast Guard, the Times reported.
On March 26, 2024, the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed after a container ship lost power and hit the bridge, killing six construction workers who were repairing the roadway the bridge carried.
The Port of Baltimore is the ninth busiest port in the U.S., WTOP reported.
More than 12.4 million ships passed under the bridge in 2023, the Times reported.
It is expected to be rebuilt by 2028.
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