Baltimore’s maritime sector faced another shock when a Greek-owned coal carrier, the W Sapphire (81,681 dwt), suffered a spectacular explosion just after departing the port.
Around 6:28–6:30 p.m. on August 18, 2025, a massive fireball erupted from the ship’s forward hold, sending plumes of thick black smoke across the harbor and alarming nearby residents and vessels.
The incident began with an explosion-like blast aboard the W‑Sapphire as it left the CSX Curtis Bay terminal, loaded with coal bound for Port Louis, Mauritius. The explosion originated in the ship’s forward cargo hold, immediately followed by a fire.
Witnesses reported
Witnesses reported fireballs and an 80-meter smoke plume rising near the already-collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge, shaking nearby homes with the force of the blast. initially mistaking the blast for bridge demolition.
The U.S. Coast Guard
The U.S. Coast Guard, Baltimore Fire Department, and Maryland’s emergency agencies launched a coordinated response. Fireboats and land crews converged on the scene, extinguishing the fire and guiding the ship to a safe anchorage near Fort Howard. A 2,000‑yard safety zone was established, spanning from the Key Bridge to Brewerton Angle Channel LB “14.”
An exclusion zone,
Authorities established an exclusion zone, while investigators look into possible causes, including spontaneous coal combustion or coal dust ignition. Initial checks show no signs of pollution.
Fortunately, all 23 crew members and 2 pilots are safe, with no injuries reported. The bulker, loaded with coal and bound for Port Louis, Mauritius, was quickly secured by tugs and is now under US Coast Guard supervision at anchorage.
The Tragedy event
Ship Explosion Near Key Bridge refers to the Tragedy event when the Liberian-flagged bulk carrier W‑Sapphire caught fire and experienced a suspected explosion in Baltimore’s Patapsco River, dangerously close to the site of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in March 2024.
Related : Baltimore Incident : The Maritime Traffic in Major English Ports
Source photo :IASMANIA +Agencies
