THE CARGO SHIP that crashed into a bridge in Baltimore, causing the structure to collapse and killing six people, has left the city’s port three months after the incident. 

The 984ft Dali started moving shortly before 8.30am (1.30pm Irish time) with four tugboats.

It is heading to Norfolk, Virginia, for the removal of the remaining containers on the vessel and additional repairs. The trip is expected to take between 16 and 20 hours.

The Francis Scott Key Bridge, a major transit route into the busy port of Baltimore, collapsed on 26 March when the Dali container ship lost power and collided into a support column, killing six roadway construction workers.

A US National Transportation Safety Board investigation found the ship experienced two power outages in the hours before it left the Port of Baltimore.

In the moments before the bridge collapsed, it lost power again and veered off course. The agency is still investigating what caused the electrical failures.

The FBI has also launched a criminal investigation.

The bodies of two of the deceased were recovered a few days after the disaster, but then divers had to suspend their search after the debris of the bridge “encased” some of the missing vehicles. A third body was recovered over a week later.

A fourth body was recovered in April and a fifth and sixth were recovered in May. All of the men had been working on the bridge when it collapsed.

Last week, under an agreement confirmed by a federal judge, members of the Dali’s crew were allowed to head home. None of the crew members had been able to leave the US since the crash.

Under the agreement, the crew members can return home but must be available for depositions.

With reporting by Press Association