Baltimore's Alternate Shipping Channels Not Deep Enough, Maersk Says

The Baltimore port's alternate shipping channels are not deep enough to accommodate the oceangoing container vessels that Maersk and other carriers use, the Danish shipping group said in a statement on Wednesday.

A container vessel chartered by Maersk collided with a major bridge in the U.S. port of Baltimore's harbor last month, causing the structure to collapse. Six people died in the incident.

Maersk in its statement said there had been some media reports of another alternate channel slated to open later in April that would be able to accommodate larger vessels.

"Details on this third channel have yet to be confirmed by the Baltimore Captain of the Port via Unified Command, the group tasked with coordinating the incident response," Maersk said in its note directed at clients.

"We will advise you of any updates related to our ability to utilize any alternate channels in the area," it added.

(Reuters - Reporting by Terje Solsvik, editing by Essi Lehto)