What difference can a swift response make?

KIM HYOUNG-GU
The author is the Washington bureau chief of the JoongAng Ilbo.

I didn’t think I would see a bridge collapse in the middle of the night in the United States. Bridge plates were falling, steel bars were bent, and a container ship was crushed underneath the fallen bridge. The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland will be imprinted on people like a scene from a movie, but it also left a lesson to be learned.

The MV Dali container ship left the port of Baltimore at 0:39 a.m. on March 26, and the emergency alarm went off at 1:24:59 a.m. The ship lost power, and lights went off. The ship was lost in the dark. Shortly before colliding with the bridge, the vessel sent a mayday distress signal to the Maryland Transportation Authority.

Baltimore police and fire authorities exchanged communication and closed the road at 1:25:45 a.m., less than one minute after the distress signal. Traffic was not allowed over the bridge. While a police officer guarded the southern entrance, another officer covered the northern side.

The news reported that more than 20 people were expected to be missing as many vehicles on the bridge fell into the water immediately after the bridge collapse. But security camera footage showed that a cargo truck that crossed the bridge at 1:27 a.m. was the last to pass. After the ship collided with the supporting pier at 1:28:44 am, the top plates collapsed.

Eight workers were on the bridge at the time and fell into the river. Six of them went missing while two were rescued. There could have been more victims, but the authorities prevented a further disaster by blocking traffic.

Maryland Governor Wes Moore said that brave acts of heroes saved many lives. I wondered what would have happened if such an accident had occurred in Korea. Year after year, I’ve seen the authorities miss the golden hour at times of major disasters over disputes about jurisdiction.

In July 2020, traffic was not blocked until three people died when an underpass in Busan was flooded. Both the Busan Metropolitan Government and the district office pointed fingers at each other. The same happened three years later. In July 2023, 14 people were killed in an underpass in Cheongju, North Chungcheong, due to torrential rains. Again, traffic was not controlled in time at all.

Korean officials must learn from the prompt response and bravery of the Baltimore officials, who did not hesitate one minute and acted decisively when the distress call was sent. I hope the same response to disaster will not be repeated in Korea this year.