Baltimore Key Bridge collapse: Temporary channel opens for boats working on bridge response
The cargo ship struck Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge early Tuesday.
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.
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What to know about the collapse
The container ship Dali struck Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge at about 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, partially collapsing the bridge, officials in Maryland said.
A local pilot was at the helm of the ship at the time, Maryland Department of Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld said.
The crash appeared to be accidental, not intentional, 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.
What we know about the victims
The bodies of two of the six construction workers killed were recovered on Wednesday, found by divers trapped in a pickup truck submerged underwater, police said.
The other four victims have not been recovered.
The workers found on Wednesday were identified by police as Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, 35, a native of Mexico who lived in Baltimore, and Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, 26, a native of Guatemala who lived in Dundalk, Maryland.
Among the four still missing is construction worker Miguel Luna, 49, a father of five, and Maynor Suazo Sandoval, a father of two.
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Soaps, perfumes among hazardous materials
Divers are on pause due to the "hazardous conditions" caused by the collision, and officials are enforcing a 2,000-yard safety zone, according to the Unified Command leading the response.
The Unified Command is made up of agencies including the Coast Guard, the Army Corps of Engineers and the Maryland State Police.
"First responders have observed a sheen around the vessels," the Unified Command said.
Perfumes and soaps make up the majority of the 13 impacted containers with hazardous materials, according to the Unified Command.
"Crews continue to assess and monitor for spilled oils and hazardous substances to prevent further discharge," the Unified Command said in a statement Thursday.
"We have been conducting air monitoring on the vessel and around the vessel with our contractor. No volatile organic compounds or flammable vapors were observed," the Unified Command said. "Pollution and debris removal operations are on-going. At this time, no atmospheric hazards have been detected."
The Unified Command said it’s also monitoring water quality.
The Environmental Protection Agency said it sent two coordinators to work with the Coast Guard and other agencies.
-ABC News’ Sam Sweeney
Maryland requests $60M in emergency relief funds from federal government
The state of Maryland has requested $60 million in emergency relief funds from the federal government "for our immediate response efforts and to lay the foundation for a rapid recovery," Gov. Wes Moore said in a statement.
The governor’s office said the funds are "needed for the state to proceed as quickly and safely as possible with debris removal, demolition, traffic operations and other emergency needs," and that this "request is supplemental to funding provided by other federal partners to provide complementary work for the emergency response."
This request is not related to bridge reconstruction efforts. The governor’s office said the state "is working to develop the preliminary scope and engineering estimate of future financial needs."
President Joe Biden announced earlier this week that the federal government will pay for the reconstruction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
-ABC News’ Beatrice Peterson
State will do a full evaluation of all critical bridges in Maryland, governor says
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore told reporters that the state will do a "true full evaluation" of all fracture-critical bridges in Maryland in the wake of the deadly Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse.
During a media availability on MLB opening day announcing the new ownership of the Baltimore Orioles, Moore asked for local leaders to help rebuild.
"I'm calling on everybody to do their part. In this game, nobody gets to sit on the sidelines. We need every single Baltimorean and we need every single Marylander to join us in this work to rebuild this bridge and rebuild the city," Moore said. "And that work is happening as we speak. The best minds in the world are coming together to collect the information that we need to move forward with speed and safety."
Once the bridge is rebuilt, Moore said, "We're going to have another reopening day -- and that will be the reopening of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. And you can bet on that."
-ABC News’ Beatrice Peterson