Rescue efforts have been called off and the search and rescue operation is now a recovery operation, investigations are underway to determine what caused the crash
Baltimore bridge collapses: Six presumed dead as investigations begin
Six construction workers are presumed dead after a container ship struck a bridge in Baltimore on Tuesday, causing the bridge to collapse into the river.
Rescue efforts have now been called off and investigators plan to board the vessel to retrieve its data recorder. The vessel is said to have lost power and issued a distress call moments before it struck the bridge, but due to how quickly the ship was travelling it was impossible to change course in time to avoid the crash.
Maryland Police say they are now moving from a search and rescue operation to a recovery operation, citing the temperature of the river and the time in which the individuals have been in the water.
Search divers will return to the waters this morning if the weather permits.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge snapped and plunged into the Patapsco River on Tuesday, at about 01:30 ET (05:30 GMT).
US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has said he expects a “major and protracted impact to supply chains.”
Baltimore bridge video
BREAKING: Ship collides with Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, causing it to collapse pic.twitter.com/OcOrSjOCRn
— BNO News (@BNONews) March 26, 2024
What happened in Baltimore?
There are still a lot of unanswered questions about what caused the crash but we do know:
- An unclassified memo by the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said the ship “lost propulsion as it was leaving Baltimore Harbour”
- Videos of the incident show the lights were flickering on the container ship shortly before impact, indicating it may have lost power
- Officials said crew on board of the ship were able to alert the Maryland Department of Transportation that they had lost control of the vessel – essentially issuing a mayday call
- At the time, the ship had been moving at a “very rapid speed” towards the bridge, officials said, meaning it could not stop or divert away in time
- The mayday call prompted local authorities to then close the bridge to traffic before it was struck, “undoubtedly saving lives,” Biden said