A coal-laden bulk carrier departing the Port of Baltimore erupted in an explosion Monday evening near the former Francis Scott Key Bridge site, casting a fireball over the Patapsco River but injuring no one, according to city officials. The 751-foot, Liberian-flagged MV W Sapphire was about 6:30 p.m. ET when a blast in its forward cargo hold rocked the vessel shortly after it left CSX’s Curtis Bay coal terminal bound for Port Louis, Mauritius. Maritime analysts said the ship was fully loaded with coal. Fireboats, tugboats and crews from the Baltimore City Fire Department and U.S. Coast Guard contained the blaze and guided the carrier to an anchorage off Fort Howard. All 23 crew members remained on board, were accounted for and reported uninjured. The Coast Guard has opened an investigation into the cause of the blast, with initial attention on the risk of methane or coal-dust ignition inside the hold. Maryland Governor Wes Moore said state agencies are coordinating with federal responders and “closely monitoring” developments. The incident comes 17 months after the container ship Dali struck and collapsed the Francis Scott Key Bridge, killing six workers and disrupting port operations, a disaster that spurred calls for stronger vessel-traffic controls that have yet to be enacted.