A cargo container ship collision early Tuesday led to a catastrophic accident at the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore City (Maryland) in the United States. The impact snapped multiple sections of the bridge, tossing vehicles into the river below.
As per the latest update, the Maryland state police informed that the six people who were missing after the bridge collapse, have been presumed dead.
Focus now on recovery efforts: Baltimore Mayor
Six crew workers were missing and presumed dead, and the search for them was suspended until Wednesday morning, authorities announced as they shifted from a search and rescue operation to a recovery effort.
“Our focus now is recovering the victims, so their loved ones get the closure they deserve. My heart is with those families tonight and in the days ahead,” Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott (D) said in an official statement.
Earlier, US President Joe Biden mentioned that eight people were unaccounted for after the bridge collapse, out of which two have been rescued, while the rescue operation was ongoing for the remaining six.
“Ship traffic in the port of Baltimore has been suspended until further notice and we’ll need to clear that channel before the ship traffic can resume…It’s my intention that the federal government will pay for the entire cost of reconstructing that bridge…The people of Baltimore can count on us,” Biden added.
Bridge background and its significance
Spanning 1.6 miles across the Patapsco River, the Francis Scott Key Bridge carries significant historical relevance as Francis Scott Key wrote the U.S. national anthem ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ at this site in 1814.
Built over five years and opened in 1977, the bridge accommodates approximately 1.3 million vehicles annually, serving as a vital component of the I-695 highway, commonly known as the Baltimore Beltway.
Dali’s distress call
The Singapore-flagged freighter ‘Dali’ managed by Synergy Marine Group, collided with a bridge pillar while under the guidance of two pilots. The incident occurred around 01:30 (Local Time) on March 26.
It is noteworthy that the ship’s crew, comprising 22 Indian nationals, issued an SOS, prompting swift action from authorities to restrict traffic on the bridge, Maryland Governor Wes Moore disclosed. After the collision, several vehicles fell into Patapsco River’s chilly waters beneath the bridge.
At the time of the collision, Dali boasted a capacity of 10,000 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEU), with 4,679 TEU aboard. En route from Baltimore to Colombo in Sri Lanka, the ship carried cargo belonging to Maersk, a detail confirmed by the Danish shipping giant.