A body has reportedly been recovered from the Patapsco River after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed around 1am on Tuesday morning, a Baltimore city council member told CNN.
A search and rescue mission is underway for at least six people who have been missing since a container ship crashed into the bridge in Baltimore, Maryland.
The cargo-carrying vessel, called the Dali, crashed into a pillar of the bridge approximately 30 minutes after setting sail on its 27-day journey to Sri Lanka.
Local, state and federal officials convened on Tuesday to provide updates on the mission and investigation into the incident.
It is still unclear what caused the accident at this time, but Maryland Governor Wes Moore said that the ship made a mayday call just ahead of the accident. Some crew aboard the ship told authorities they lost power moments beforehand.
The call gave people on the bridge enough time to prevent cars from continuing on the bridge, saving lives.
However, eight individuals are believed to have fallen in the water. Two individuals were rescued and one is currently in the hospital.
Key points
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Maryland Transportation Authority asks residents to avoid area near search and rescue
Ariana Baio
26 March 2024 23:00
None of the crew on board the ship are feared missing
According to the Synergy Group, the company that owns the Dali, all the crew members on board the ship, including the two pilots have been accounted for and there are no reported injuries. The ship was heading from Baltimore to Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Michelle Del Rey
26 March 2024 22:16
Bridge had no structural issues prior to collapse
Federal inspectors found Francis Scott Key Bridge had no significant issues during its last inspection in 2022.
The bridge, which collapsed on Tuesday morning after a 100,000+ ton cargo ship hit it, is more than 1.6 miles long and had been standing since it opened in 1977.
Ariana Baio
26 March 2024 21:50
Men missing are all from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico, coworker says
Jesus Campos, a coworker of the missing men, said he used to spend shifts working on the Francis Scott Key Bridge until he was recently transferred to a different post.
He said it could’ve been him in the water and says that the incident is painful for him. “They are hard-working, humble men”, he told The Baltimore Banner.
Michelle Del Rey
26 March 2024 21:28
Fox host Maria Bartiromo slammed for linking bridge disaster to immigration: ‘Reprehensible stupidity’
In an early morning broadcast on the right-wing channel, Bartiromo asked US Senator Rick Scott for his take on the bridge collapse, linking it to the “wide-open border.”
Michelle Del Rey
26 March 2024 21:00
‘Twisted metal’ underwater creates unsafe environment for divers
An official said underwater drones used in the search for the six missing individuals in the river beneath the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore showed “an abundance of twisted metal and debris from the Francis Scott Key Bridge.”
Angela Alsobrooks, the county executive for Prince George’s County in Maryland, said on X that the discovery means it is “unsafe for divers to enter so far.”
Ariana Baio
26 March 2024 20:44
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg provides update on Baltimore bridge collapse
Michelle Del Rey
26 March 2024 20:43
Pete Buttigieg calls day ‘excruciating’ for families
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said in a press conference on Tuesday that Tuesday is “an excruciating day for several families” who are awaiting to hear news about their loved ones who may have been on the bridge during the collision.
“We should also recognize that this is an excruciating day for several families who went to bed last night having it be a normal night and woke up today to news that no one wants to receive,” Mr Buttigieg said.
Ariana Baio
26 March 2024 20:07
See it: Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg on the scene
The US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg is on the scene of the incident.
Michelle Del Rey
26 March 2024 19:14
Watch: Baltimore’s Key Bridge collapse: Aerial shots show devastation after ship crash
Ariana Baio
26 March 2024 19:00
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