6 workers missing in Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse presumed dead
Editor’s note: This story was updated at 1 p.m. on March 27 to reflect new information.
The six missing people who plunged into the water after the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge are presumed dead. Authorities were working to recover their bodies Wednesday morning.
The disaster occurred early Tuesday when the Dali, a Singapore-flagged ship, crashed into a piling around 1:30 a.m., bringing down the Baltimore bridge in seconds. A construction crew was filling potholes on the bridge when it tumbled into the Patapsco River.
Two people were rescued by authorities, and one was in critical condition Tuesday.
Here’s what to know about the bridge collapse as authorities piece together how the tragedy unfolded.
Coast Guard switches to recovery
The U.S. Coast Guard on Tuesday searched the chilly Patapsco River waters by boat, air and diving in hopes of finding those who fell in the water. The river feeds into the Baltimore Harbor area, then to Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.
Water was 50-feet deep where the bridge collapsed, said Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld.
The Coast Guard, the Maryland State Police and the Baltimore City Fire Department announced Tuesday night they were switching from search and rescue to a recovery mission on Wednesday.
Coast Guard Rear Adm. Shannon Gilreath said Tuesday night that the low water temperatures paired with the length of time the workers were in the water led officials to believe the victims didn’t survive. The conditions also pose a safety risk to recovery divers, due to the temperature and the currents moving pieces of the fallen bridge.
Maryland State Police Lt. Col. Roland Butler Jr. said it was possible another vehicle was on the bridge when it collapsed.
“As unfortunate as it may be, it’s a distinct possibility. However, we don’t have any information to support that,” he said.
Guatemala’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said two of the workers were Guatemalans: a 26-year-old from the Petén region and a 35-year-old from the Chiquimula area. Their names were not released. The ministry said it is believed other workers were from Mexico, Honduras and El Salvador.
The consul general of Guatemala in Maryland spoke on the phone with the brothers of the missing Guatemalans.
CASA, which provides services to immigrants and working-class families, identified Miguel Luna as one of the victims presumed dead. Luna, from El Salvador, left for work at 6:30 p.m. Monday. He lived in Maryland for 19 years and was a husband and father of three.
“In the aftermath of the tragic collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, our hearts ache for the families of the victims and all those impacted by this horrific accident,” said CASA Executive Director Gustavo Torres. “Sadly, we discovered that one of the construction workers involved was a longtime member of our CASA family, adding an even deeper layer of sorrow to this already grievous situation.”
Gov. Wes Moore said Wednesday on “Today” that he met with the victims’ families and made a commitment “to put every possible resource” into recovering their loved ones.
“They were fathers. They were sons. They were husbands. They were people who their families relied on,” he said.
“What happened here at our port is a tragedy that no one could ever imagine,” said Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott. “Our focus now is recovering the victims, so their loved ones get the closure they deserve.”
The owners and managers of the Dali said Wednesday that all of the ship’s 22-person crew and the two pilots were accounted for with one minor injury reported. The injured crew member was treated and released from a hospital.
Baltimore Fire Department Chief James Wallace said at a news conference Tuesday that authorities detected vehicles in the water by using sonar. Wiedefeld said authorities don’t believe anyone is trapped in vehicles in the water.
How did the ship crash into the bridge?
Officials haven’t yet released a cause, but Gov. Wes Moore said Tuesday that it was an accident.
A video shared on social media shows the ship losing and regaining power at least twice. Smoke appears to plume out of the ship as it inches toward the 1.6-mile bridge, which vehicles were using, seemingly oblivious to what was occurring below them on the water.
The Dali was traveling at 8 knots, about 9 mph, when it struck the bridge, Moore said.
The ship’s crew notified authorities of a power issue and sent a mayday before the collision. The distress signal enabled authorities to begin halting traffic, keeping “many vehicles” off the bridge when it collapsed, the governor said.
Audio from the Maryland Transportation Authority reveals how police responded in the moments leading up to the collapse. An officer can be heard directing police over the radio to hold traffic because “there’s a ship approaching that just lost their steering.”
An officer raised concerns over a “crew working on the bridge right now” and discussed notifying the crew’s foreman to have the workers evacuate. But within moments, another officer on the radio exclaimed, “The whole bridge just fell down!”
“Start — whoever — everybody — the whole bridge just collapsed!” the officer said.
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said Wednesday on “Good Morning America” that “the force of this ship is almost unimaginable.”
“This is a vessel that was about 100,000 tons carrying its load,” he said. “So, 200 million pounds went into this bridge all at once, which is why you had the almost instant catastrophic result. … It is difficult to overstate the level of physical force that hit this bridge all at once.”
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the incident. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said she had a team of 24 people on the ground investigating the collapse. They included nautical operations experts, bridge experts and structural engineers.
According to the website Marine Traffic, which provides real-time information on ships, the Dali had departed the Port of Baltimore at 1 a.m. and was just 30 minutes into its route to Colombo, Sri Lanka, when it hit the bridge. It was due to arrive in Colombo on April 22.
The Dali is nearly 984 feet long and about 157 feet wide, the website said. Two pilots were on board the ship, which is owned by Grace Ocean Private Ltd., Synergy Marine Group said. The ship was chartered by Maersk and was carrying Maersk customer cargo, the company said in a statement Tuesday.
How does collapse affect the port and freight?
The Francis Scott Key Bridge plays an important role in commercial shipping access to the Port of Baltimore, a hub for vehicles including light trucks, as well as various bulk goods.
The bridge, built in 1977, crosses the Patapsco River and was part of Interstate 695, serving as the final link of the Baltimore Beltway. Some 35,000 people use the bridge daily as a major commute route, Wiedefeld said. They will have to seek alternative routes for the foreseeable future.
The Baltimore Department of Transportation urged truck drivers to consult an online map to find the best route for deliveries.
Shipping in and out of the Port of Baltimore is suspended until further notice, officials said.
The Bureau of Transportation Statistics said as of noon Tuesday, three bulk carriers, one vehicle carrier, two general cargo ships, one oil/chemical tanker and three logistics naval vessels were stuck behind the fallen bridge in the port. One vehicle carrier was in the port but outside the bridge, and nine bulk carriers, one vehicle carrier and two general cargo vessels were anchored.
The port was listed as the 20th-biggest port in the country by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Moore in February touted the port’s success as “one of the largest economic generators in Maryland” after its private terminals handled a record 52.3 million tons of foreign cargo in 2023.
The Port of Baltimore generates some 15,300 jobs, and nearly 140,000 jobs are linked to port activities, the governor previously announced. It is the top U.S. port for volume of autos and light trucks, roll-on/roll-off heavy farm and construction machinery, imported sugar, and imported gypsum.
“It’s critically important to our economy,” U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin of Maryland said at a news conference Tuesday. “It affects many, many jobs. It affects not only jobs in Maryland but around the country and world. Our next priority is to make sure we get that channel open.”
It’s unclear when the bridge will be rebuilt, but Moore said it will be a “long-term build.” The Port of Baltimore serves as “a key component in Maryland’s transportation network,” Wiedefeld previously said. Port of Baltimore officials said although vessel traffic is suspended, trucks are still being processed inside terminals.
Moore said Wednesday that the economic consequences of the bridge collapse “cannot be overstated.”
“Not just for the state of Maryland – we’re talking about what this means for the entire country,” he said. “We’re talking about a port that brings in more cars, more light trucks, more agricultural equipment than any other port in this country. So, this isn’t only going to impact Maryland. We’re talking about farmers in Kentucky, we’re talking about auto dealers in Michigan, who are all going to deal with the consequences of this.”
Buttigieg on Wednesday stressed the port’s importance in America’s economy. He said the Port of Baltimore “had some unique capabilities” and ocean shippers, other ports and cargo owners were working to divert ships that were heading to Baltimore.
“It is going to lead to a lot of complications for our supply chain,” he said.
President Joe Biden vowed a rapid rebuilding effort.
“As I told Gov. Moore, I directed my team to move heaven and earth to reopen the port and rebuild the bridge as soon as humanly possible,” he said. “It’s my intention that the federal government will pay for the entire cost of reconstructing that bridge.”
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