On Thursday, August 28, a hatch cover blown off the bulk carrier W-Sapphire during an explosion was salvaged from the Baltimore Channel. This is part of the ongoing investigation into the incident, which occurred shortly after the ship departed the Baltimore coal terminal on August 18.

From 7:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. local time on Thursday, vessel traffic was prohibited in and out of Fort McHenry Federal Channel in Baltimore, and a 500-yard safety zone was established around the hatch cover at the northern end of Chesapeake Bay.

During this period, diving and salvage operations took place. Around 3:00 p.m., the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) announced that the 30-ton hatch had been successfully recovered from the Patapsco River. The safety zone restrictions were lifted, and the channel was reopened.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Baltimore District assisted the USCG on August 19, the day after the explosion, dispatching a survey vessel to conduct sonar measurements around Fort McHenry Channel. Captain Jake Tuer, leading the investigation, reported that the data collected during this process would help determine next steps, including reopening the channel and salvage operations.

The 81,700-ton bulk carrier W-Sapphire remains anchored near Sandy Point State Park, north of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Shortly after the explosion, the ship was escorted to the anchorage and left there while the USCG and state authorities investigate the cause of the blast. Initial radio calls from the vessel suggested possible water ingress into the cargo hold, but the force of the explosion appeared to push upward, blowing off the hatch cover.

Investigators are examining the cause of the explosion, which tore off the hatch cover of Cargo Hold No. 2. One piece remained on deck while another fell into the water. Observers reported a massive fireball rising several hundred feet into the air at the time of the explosion. Authorities are reportedly considering both spontaneous combustion and external heat or ignition sources as potential causes.

According to maritime tracking data, the vessel is expected to arrive in Mauritius in about one month.