Six construction workers who went missing when the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed early Tuesday are now presumed dead, officials say.
Maryland State Police and the U.S. Coast Guard said there was little, if any, chance the workers would be found alive based on the freezing water temperature and the length of time they’ve been missing.
“At this point, we do not know where they are, but we intend to give it our best effort to help these families find closure,” Col. Roland Butler said at a news conference after darkness fell Tuesday.
A recovery operation will begin at 6 a.m. ET on Wednesday. Butler said structural engineers will help formulate a plan for divers to navigate the dangerous wreckage and avoid the sharp steel debris, which could puncture a diver’s suit or oxygen line.
The construction workers were repairing potholes on the bridge when the ship, a 948-foot-long cargo vessel named Dali, smashed into one of the span’s supports around 1:30 a.m. ET on Tuesday.
The steel bridge plunged into the frigid Patapsco River below, with one twisted section coming to rest on top of the vessel’s bow.
The crew issued a mayday call moments before the crash. With the ship barrelling toward the bridge at “a very, very rapid speed,” Maryland Governor Wes Moore said authorities had just enough time to stop cars from coming over the bridge.
“These people are heroes,” Moore said. “They saved lives last night.”
A container ship hit a major bridge in Baltimore, causing several vehicles to fall into the Patapsco River. Fire officials initially said crews were searching for at least seven people in the waters.
The state’s transportation secretary said the six workers were filling potholes on the bridge, which carries 11.3 million vehicles a year and leads to the busy Port of Baltimore.
Jeffrey Pritzker, executive vice-president of Brawner Builders, which employed the workers, said they were in the middle of the bridge when it came down.
No bodies have been recovered.
‘An unthinkable tragedy’
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) held back Tuesday to make room for the search, but said a team of 24 people will begin their investigation by gathering information from the command centre until they are able to get to the ship.
“We chose not to board the vessel today to allow time for the search and recovery,” said Jennifer Homendy, the board’s chair, offering her condolences to the families of the workers.
Rescuers pulled two people out of the water after the collapse. One person was treated at a hospital and released hours later. Multiple vehicles also went into the river, although authorities did not believe anyone was inside.
“It looked like something out of an action movie,” Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said, calling it “an unthinkable tragedy.”
Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday afternoon, Homendy said the nautical operations experts with the NTSB will gather information on the vessel’s safety history, its owner and its operations in hours leading up to the crash.
Investigators will also be taking “recorders” from the ship, though Homendy said she could not provide more detail on which recorders, or what they might have captured.
Structural engineers, highway personnel and a “human performance” expert will also participate in the investigation, the chairwoman said.
The temperature in the river was about 8 C in the early hours of Tuesday, according to a buoy that collects data for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Replacing the collapsed bridge in Baltimore could take a number of years, says David Knight, a U.K. engineering specialist. He expects a significant investigation and a ‘design period’ before construction of an entirely new structure can begin.
Ship was en route to Asia
The Dali was headed from Baltimore to Colombo, Sri Lanka, and flying under a Singapore flag, according to data from Marine Traffic. The container ship is about 300 metres long and about 48 metres wide, according to the website.
Synergy Marine Group, which manages the ship, confirmed the vessel hit a pillar of the bridge at about 1:30 a.m. while in control of one or more pilots — local specialists who help guide vessels safely into and out of ports. The ship is owned by Grace Ocean Private Ltd.
Synergy said all crew members and the two pilots on board were accounted for, and there were no reports of any injuries.
Biden says government will help rebuild
U.S. President Joe Biden expressed condolences to victims and their relatives for the “terrible accident,” and said the federal government would provide whatever assistance was necessary to help in the search and rescue effort. He said he intends for the federal government to pick up the entire cost of rebuilding.
“This is going to take some time,” Biden said.
Last year, the Port of Baltimore handled a record 52.3 million tons of foreign cargo worth $80 billion, according to the state.
The head of a supply chain management company said Americans should expect shortages of goods because of the impact the collapse will have on ocean container shipping and East Coast trucking.
“It’s not just the port of Baltimore that’s going to be impacted,” said Ryan Petersen, CEO of Flexport.
Baltimore Police Department Commissioner Richard Corley said there was “absolutely no indication” the contact with the bridge was intentional.
The FBI was on the scene, and said there was no credible information to suggest terrorism.
