Container ship loses propulsion near New York Harbor, requires tugboat assistance

NEW YORK CITY (TND) — A large container ship lost propulsion near New York Harbor late last week and required the assistance of tugboats to safely anchor, the U.S. Coast Guard confirmed to The National Desk (TND).

The ship, APL Qingdao, was in the busy Kill Van Kull shipping waterway when it reported a loss of propulsion around 8:30 p.m. on Friday. Tugboats escorting the vessel brought it to a stop near the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, according to the Coast Guard.

“The vessel regained propulsion and was assisted to safely anchor in Stapleton Anchorage, outside the navigable channel just north of the Verrazzano Bridge, by three towing vessels," a spokesperson said.

After repairs to the ship’s propulsion system, officials determined it once again met necessary safety requirements. The ship then left the harbor early Sunday.

The APL Qingdao did not lose power during the incident, the spokesperson noted. Power loss was a factor in the loss of control of the container ship which struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore last month, causing it to collapse.

READ MORE | Children of workers killed in Key Bridge collapse to receive college scholarships

Of the eight construction workers on the Key Bridge at the time of the collapse, two survived and the bodies of three others have been recovered. The remaining three are presumed dead. The workers hailed from Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras and El Salvador, officials said.

The children of the workers who died in the Key Bridge collapse will be offered college scholarships by a Maryland nonprofit. At least 12 children will receive scholarships from Kids’ Choice Maryland, with ages ranging from 5 to 18 years old. The charity will provide these individuals $6,000 of assistance per semester at a college or trade school of their choice and will consider additional support should they elect to attend further schooling.

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