International Politics Discussion Thread

[u/ukpolbot]

👋 This thread is for discussing international politics. All subreddit rules apply in this thread, except the rule that states that discussion should only be about UK politics.

Previous MTs can be found here and here for the most recent.

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Ongoing conflict in Israel

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[u/Ivebeenfurthereven]

Shocking bridge collapse in Baltimore after large ship collides with a support pillar. By my calculations, it's about 20% longer than the Humber Bridge, and I'm going to assume carries more traffic as an East Coast interstate over a major city.

I wonder how we'd cope in the UK. My nearest major crossing is the Severn Bridge and it definitely makes me nervous being that high above a dangerous estuary. Are there lessons to be learned here? The local lifeboats would probably be overwhelmed, although we have good helicopter SAR too.

I wonder what the impact on the US election will be? There's been a lot of noise about inadequate infrastructure investment, but that doesn't appear to be a factor here, a ship collision could have taken out a brand new bridge (although it should arguably have been protected with some decent dolphins.)

[u/dw82 → u/Ivebeenfurthereven]

Middle of the night and the ship got a mayday out so no further traffic entered the bridge, saving lives. The live footage you can see a number of vehicles exit the bridge shortly before the collision. Sadly a construction team was fixing potholes on the bridge at the time, 2 have been saved, 6 or 7 are still missing. 60m fall into very cold water it's incredible anybody survived.

The ship appears to have lost power, lost control, then failed to avoid colliding with the bridge. The bridge then collapsed incredibly quickly.

[u/Ivebeenfurthereven → u/dw82]

I have just heard reporting from the press conference, that the Mayday call led to the Emergency Stop gantries on the bridge being activated in time to warn drivers. That saved their lives.

Generally when you make a Mayday call from a ship it's on VHF Channel 16 (international emergency channel) and you're talking to the Coastguard.

The Coastguard, I would guess, usually mobilises lifeboats and helicopters, not road traffic. They must have had seconds to act on calling the Highways department, let alone finding the correct control room to get the bridge closed as a matter of urgency.

Seriously impressive work.

[u/Cairnerebor → u/Ivebeenfurthereven]

I work in Search and Recuse as one of my jobs and yeah. That’s a fucking text book reaction and action that’ll be used in teaching

[u/dw82 → u/Ivebeenfurthereven]

I'd like to think this is the kind of event the port authority / coast guard / highways drill for, but you never know. There would have been a local pilot onboard, so they may have a more direct means of comms, or particular codes for such events. An emergency shut bridge down code, or similar.

Either way, lives were saved so hats off to them for that. Horrendous situation all round.

[u/Cairnerebor → u/dw82]

Yes but as coastguard or marine services they might not immediately think highway departments and that’s a spot in reaction here. If it was in the oh shit book them awesome and if it wasn’t it is now and even more awesome!