NEW DELHI: Despite the
US government
and
Baltimore authorities
praising the
Indian crew
operating
Dali
which saved lives even after being crashed into a concrete pier supporting the
Francis Scott Key Bridge
, a ‘racist’ cartoon depicting Indians has sparked outrage.
Dali lost power and collided with a concrete pier that supported the bridge. In a matter of seconds, practically the whole Baltimore bridge gave way, plunging into what officials estimated to be 50 feet of freezing water below.
But the Indians within the ship prompted a Mayday call which triggered authorities to scramble to shut down traffic to the bridge, potentially saving lives.
US President
Joe Biden
, Maryland governor
Wes Moore
and other officials praised the ship’s crew for their instant reaction which helped the authorities to save many lives.
"Last known recording from inside the Dali moments before impact," US-based webcomic Foxford Comics shared a cartoon on the X a day after the incident.
The graphic has gone viral garnering 4.3 million views and over 2k comments.
This cartoon may have garnered more attention but for the wrong depiction of Indians in the post.
An X user, Pooja Sangwan, echoed the sentiment and said, "It's shameful that people are mocking Indian crew for the tragic incident. Meanwhile the governor himself praised the crew."
Meanwhile, Indian economist Sanjeev Sanyal wrote that the ship was likely being steered by a local pilot at the time of the incident.
"At the time that the ship hit the bridge, it would have had a local pilot. In any case, the crew had warned the authorities which is why the casualties were relatively few (for such a disaster). The mayor in fact thanked the Indian crew as "heroes" for raising an alarm that limited casualties," he said.
Many users also shared the video of authorities praising the Indian crew operating Dali and their presence of mind in the comment section of Foxford Comics.
English (US) ·