Baltimore Key Bridge collapse: Temporary channel opens for boats working on bridge response

"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.

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.

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.

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.

Ten ships -- not including the Dali -- are stuck inside the Port of Baltimore, according to a new update by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

They are comprised of: three bulk carriers, one vehicle carrier, three logistics naval vessels, two general cargo ships and one oil chemical tanker.

An additional vehicle carrier is in the port but outside the site of the bridge collapse.

This list does not include additional tugboats, sailboats and private yachts that are also in a holding pattern as the Port of Baltimore remains closed.

The port said Tuesday vessel traffic in and out is "suspended until further notice."

-Noah Minnie and Elizabeth Schulze

Dali, the container ship that struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge, "experienced momentary loss of propulsion" just before the collision, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore confirmed.

The Singaporean-flagged ship underwent and passed two separate inspections in June and September 2023, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore said in a statement.

"Based on records, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore confirms that the vessel’s required classification society and statutory certificates covering the structural integrity of the vessel and functionality of the vessel’s equipment, were valid at the time of the incident," Singapore’s port authority said.

"In the June 2023 inspection, a faulty monitor gauge for fuel pressure was rectified before the vessel departed the port," MPA added.

-ABC News’ Laura Romero

The closure of the waterway will immediately impact the arrival or departure of eight foreign cargo vessels and four U.S. cargo vessels, according to an updated assessment obtained by ABC News.

From March 26 to April 9, arrivals into the Port of Baltimore of an estimated two chemical tank ships, five container ships, 15 vehicle carriers and 13 bulk carriers may be impacted.

One cruise vessel is anticipated to arrive on April 4, which may also be impacted.

-ABC News’ Josh Margolin and Aaron Katersky