'Engulfed in smoke': Cargo ship burst in flames near Baltimore's Key bridge; eyewitness recall loud sound heard before fire

An explosion occurred on board a cargo ship hauling coal in Baltimore's harbor near the site of the Francis Scott Key Bridge on Monday carrying 23 crewmembers and two pilots.

The blast took place at around 6.30 pm local time on the commercial vessel, identified as the W-Sapphire, a 751-foot bulk carrier, reported CBS News.

The fire department noted in a Facebook post that the vessel remained afloat after the incident, with 23 people on board and no injuries were reported.

BREAKING: Large explosion seen on cargo ship in the Chesapeake Bay near Baltimore; no word on cause or injuries pic.twitter.com/vOPOj7JTgd

— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) August 18, 2025

Eyewitness Jay Steinmetz, sailing in the Patapsco River with his son Sam, told CBS News they heard a loud sound before being engulfed by a plume of smoke.

According to Baltimore’s fire department, the fire was contained and the ship was being removed from the channel with the help of tugboats. Firefighters responded to the scene by both land and water, including with fireboats. Upon arrival, fireboat crews located the W-Sapphire, which showed visible signs of fire and explosion damage.

The incident occurred close to the former site of the Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge, which collapsed on March 26, 2024 in a horrifying accident. A 984-foot-long cargo ship Dali rammed into a supporting column. Six construction workers, who had been repairing potholes at the time, died when the structure crumbled.


The collapse triggered months-long closures at Baltimore’s port and caused severe traffic congestion that continue to affect the region.