A wave of racist posts against Indians flooded social media following reports indicating that the container ship involved in the collision with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, US, on Tuesday, had Indians as crew members. Officials said the Singapore-flagged ship ‘Dali’ suffered a “power issue” and issued a distress call moments before the crash.The collision had led to the collapse of the bridge, marking one of the most major accidents in the United States since 2007. Around six people were reported missing and presumed dead in the tragic event.All the 22 crew members on board the cargo ship that collided with the Baltimore bridge early Tuesday are Indians, the Synergy Marine Group — which manages the ship, said in a statement on Tuesday. All the crew members are safe, the company added.US President Joe Biden and Maryland Governor Wes Moore hailed Dali’s crew members for their quick-thinking and sending a Mayday call.Biden said that the crew “undoubtedly saved lives” by swiftly alerting transportation officials about losing control of the container ship. This had resulted in closing the bridge on time.Governor Moore said, “These people are heroes, they saved lives last night.”Meanwhile, racially motivated social media users started hurling abuses at Indians blaming them for the collapse of the bridge.A racially insensitive cartoon was produced by Foxford Comics, a US-based webcomic recognized for its politically incorrect content. The cartoon was specifically aimed at Indian crew members aboard the unfortunate ‘Dali’ container ship involved in the collision. The cartoon depicts Indian crew members in ‘brownface attire’, standing inside the ship’s control room amid murky water. They are wearing dhotis and appear shocked as the ship approaches the bridge ahead of collision.
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