Doomed cargo ship Dali was being piloted by a LOCAL crew who were trained to AVOID obstacles in the Baltimore port - as it emerges 100,000-ton vessel 'lost control and propulsion' moments before smash

The cargo ship that smashed into the Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore overnight was piloted by a specialized crew trained to avoid obstacles at ports, it has been revealed. Astonishing footage shows the moment the vessel plowed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, sending the colossal steel structure crashing into the Patapsco River, shortly before 1.30am Eastern The ship, a 948-foot-long DALI operated by Singaporean company Synergy Group, collided with the 1.2-mile bridge shortly as it departed the Port of Baltimore The Dali container ship had undergone 27 inspections since 2015, and it had been found to have two 'deficiencies', according to a CNN review of records from the Electronic Quality Shipping Information System. Stunning images show the mangled wreckage of the bridge hours after it was struck by the cargo ship Rescue efforts are underway, with it believed that 20 construction crew were on the bridge at the time as well as around 20 cars crossing the bridge A search operation underway in the frigid Patapsco River early on Tuesday morning The bridge spans 9,000 feet across the Patapsco River and is 180 feet above the water Professor Helen Sampson, an expert at the Seafarers International Research Centre at Cardiff University, speculated that human error may have also contributed to the accident. Investigations into how the vessel didn't avoid the bridge are ongoing, with an initial report citing 'propulsion' as a potential cause Rescue personnel gather on the shore of the Patapsco River after a container ship ran into the Francis Scott Key Bridge causing its collapse Officials said they are searching for at least seven individuals in the frigid waters. Visibility around the port was clear at the time of the accident Maryland Governor Wes Moore said Tuesday that there is 'no credible evidence' the crash was a terrorist attack, adding that 'the preliminary evidence points to an accident' Governor Wes Moore declared a state of emergency Tuesday morning following the catastrophic collision.