A cargo ship crashed into Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge early Tuesday morning, causing a near-total collapse of the span and halting vessel traffic into and out of the Port of Baltimore.
Six construction workers are believed to have fallen from the collapsing bridge into the frigid waters of the Patapsco River below. The bodies of two of the victims have been recovered so far, while four remain missing and are presumed dead, officials said.
Two construction workers were rescued and six went missing in the immediate aftermath of the collapse, officials said. The bodies of two of the victims were recovered from the water on Wednesday amid ongoing search and recovery efforts, while four remain missing and are presumed dead, officials said.
Mar 27, 2024, 6:35 PM EDT
Reopening Port of Baltimore a 'top priority,' officials say
Officials said during a press briefing Wednesday that reopening the Port of Baltimore is a "top priority."
Gov. Wes Moore said Maryland has submitted a request to the Biden administration today asking for emergency relief funds "to assist in our work going forward" as the Port of Baltimore remains closed following the bridge collapse.
Moore told reporters during a press briefing that he does not yet know what the total costs or the full timeline will be.
Shown is the wreckage of Francis Scott Key Bridge as seen from Dundalk, Md., on March 27, 2024, Recovery efforts resumed after the cargo ship hit a pillar of the bridge, causing the structure to collapse yesterday.
Matt Rourke/AP
"Despite this task ahead of us being daunting, I can tell you right now our resolve is unshaken. We will get to completion," he said.
Some 8,000 workers on the docks are impacted by the bridge collapse, the governor said.
"We need to make sure that we're getting them back on the job -- and the same goes for many others that have been affected by this crisis, both directly and indirectly," Moore said.
Maryland Sens. Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen also reiterated during the briefing that getting the shipping lanes open is an urgent priority.
Mar 27, 2024, 4:19 PM EDT
Timeline shows moments before cargo ship collision
At 1 a.m., the 984-foot-long, Singapore-flagged cargo ship pulled out of its berth at the Dundalk Marine Terminal, southeast of downtown Baltimore, and started to head up the Patapsco River toward the Francis Scott Key Bridge, according to the vessel's tracking data.
At 1:23 a.m., a livestream camera captured the massive ship coming into view as it approached the Key Bridge, apparently on course to pass under the 1.6-mile-long span near the middle of the bridge's cantilevered section. The footage showed light traffic on the bridge, including a tractor-trailer rig.
The collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, March 27, 2024.
Julia Nikhinson/Reuters
Mar 27, 2024, 2:27 PM EDT
Ship's crew on board and cooperating with officials: Coast Guard
The ship's crew is still on board and is cooperating with officials, Vice Adm. Peter Gautier, deputy commandant for operations for the Coast Guard, said at Wednesday’s White House press briefing.
The ship "had a fairly good safety record," he noted.
Gautier also stressed that "there is no threat to the public from the hazardous materials on board."
The cargo ship Dali sits in the water after running into and collapsing the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26, 2024 in Baltimore, Md.
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
"The real critical thing here is that, as you know, a portion of the bridge remains on the bow of that ship. And we will be coordinating very closely with the Army Corps of Engineers and their contractors to, first, affect the removal of that debris before the vessel can then be removed," Gautier said. "The vessel bow is sitting on the bottom because of the weight of that bridge debris on there, and there are underwater surveys happening by a remotely operated vehicle. Divers will be in the water today to complete that underwater survey."
The investigation into what caused the collision is ongoing.
"Anybody who is responsible will need to be accountable," Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said.
Mar 27, 2024, 1:49 PM EDT
'If not for several factors … loss of life might have been in the dozens': Buttigieg
"If not for several factors," including the mayday call, the first responders’ quick action and the time of the day of the collision, the "loss of life might have been in the dozens," Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said at Wednesday’s White House press briefing.
Emergency boats work near the collapsed section of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, after the Dali cargo vessel crashed into it, in Baltimore, March 27, 2024.
Mike Segar/Reuters
Six construction workers were killed and one was hurt when a cargo ship struck Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday.
"Work is undergoing to recover their remains and our thoughts and prayers are with their loved ones," Buttigieg said.
A U.S. Coast Guard vessel sails near the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 27, 2024 after the Dali cargo vessel crashed into it causing it to collapse, in Baltimore yesterday.
Mike Segar/Reuters
Buttigieg said he’s concerned about the local economic impact of the Port of Baltimore’s closure.
"No matter how quickly the channel can be reopened, we know that it can't happen overnight, and so we're going to have to manage the impacts in the meantime," he said. "We’re working to mitigate some of those impacts, including using tools that didn’t exist just a few years ago. Following the disruptions to supply chains from the COVID pandemic, President Biden's infrastructure package included the establishment of a new freight office within our department to help coordinate goods movement in ways that were not possible before."
"We are using it now to help the hundreds of different private supply chain actors get better coordinated to keep goods moving," Buttigieg said.
The steel frame of the Francis Scott Key Bridge sits on top of a container ship after it struck the bridge in Baltimore, Mar. 26, 2024.
WJLA
He said he’ll be meeting Thursday with shippers and other supply chain partners to "understand their needs" during this disruption.
"That said, the port of Baltimore is an important port, so for our supply chains and for all the workers who depend on it for their income, we’re going to help to get it open as soon as safely possible," he added.
