The Baltimore bridge collapse made huge headlines on Tuesday, Mar. 27. Officials stated that six people were presumed dead after a cargo ship rammed into the Francis Scott Bridge in Baltimore.

But, what caused this incident? Industry investigators are now looking into a possible cause for the Baltimore bridge collapse.

What Caused Baltimore Bridge Disaster?

According to Yahoo News' latest report, local, state, and federal authorities began an investigation to find the main cause of the collision between the cargo ship and the bridge.

They are examining if "dirty fuel" contributed to the ship's initial loss of power. One of the officers on board stated that the cargo ship's lights started flickering an hour after departure.

After that, they began smelling burning fuel, which filled the engine room. Because of this, crew members issued a mayday call. Unfortunately, the ship was unable to drop anchors before it started drifting toward the Baltimore bridge.

Because of this, marine and other industry experts believe that contaminated fuel could be one of the main factors in the Baltimore bridge disaster.

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Why American Consumers Should be Concerned

NBC News reported that the Baltimore bridge is not just a common deadly incident. It is a big deal for American consumers since they could see price increases in shipped goods.

The American Trucking Association explained that around 4,900 trucks per day would have to be re-routed because of the Baltimore bridge disaster.

These trucks are carrying an annual average of $28 billion worth of goods. The re-routing is expected to be done at a cost to shippers and consumers.

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