Two of the six missing people lost in the waters of Baltimore Harbor when the Dali cruise ship crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing it to collapse, have been located.
They are two men aged 35 and 26, members of the road construction crew that was repairing the road surface of the bridge when the accident happened. The two bodies were found inside a truck. “Shortly after 10:00, divers located a red pickup truck at a depth of approximately 7.6 meters. Two victims of the tragedy were trapped inside the vehicle,” Maryland City Police said during a press conference.
The remaining four missing people, who are considered dead, (mainly Mexican and Guatemalan nationals) have not yet been located, according to the authorities. Divers are unable to safely move towards the submerged vehicles as there is a large amount of debris and concrete. In order to be able to do so, the obstructing part of the bridge must first be removed.
The casualties could have been higher if the ship’s crew, who lost control of the engine and navigation systems for some time due to a power outage, had not sent out a distress signal. According to Transport Minister Pete Buttidge “this type of bridge (…) is not designed to withstand a head-on collision with a critical support pillar”.
Two of the six men presumed dead in the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore are being remembered by loved ones as devoted husbands, fathers and workers who were simply trying to improve their lot in life. https://t.co/VoE2i6KCzf
— NBC News (@NBCNews) March 27, 2024
No danger from the ship
The cargo ship, with a length of 300 meters does not pose any danger, neither to the environment nor to the inhabitants, although in its hold there are 5.6 billion liters of diesel fuel and on the deck some containers with dangerous materials, he assured yesterday (27/3 ) Peter Gauthier, US Coast Guard officer.
According to Joe Biden, the federal government will pay the entire cost of rebuilding the bridge, a project that will take a long time.
The stake is primarily economic: the 1.6-mile (2.6 km) four-lane bridge is part of a north-south roadway critical to the US East Coast economy. For now, shipping at the Port of Baltimore, the nation’s ninth-largest by activity and employing more than 15,000 people, has been suspended.
JUST IN: Baltimore port worker claims the Dali cargo ship had a «severe electrical problem» just days before it crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
Container Royalty co-administrator Julie Mitchell said the ship was having issues 48 hours before the crash.
«Those two… pic.twitter.com/7RccwEz7QU
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) March 27, 2024
#Baltimore #missing #persons
