Baltimore bridge collapse: Six missing workers presumed dead

Six workers are missing and presumed dead in the aftermath of the tragic bridge collapse in Baltimore harbour on Tuesday (Mar 26) when a massive cargo ship rammed into the structure.

Why are they presumed dead?

As perReuters, officials from the US Coast Guard and the Maryland State Police said that given the length of time that has elapsed since the bridge collapse and the frigid temperatures of the waters, there was little, if any, chance that the six missing workers could be found alive.

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According to CBS News, the non-profit organization CASA has identified one of the missing workers as Miguel Luna from El Salvador.

While an official statement is yet to confirm their nationalities,as per local media reports,the other workers were citizens of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador.

In the early hours of Tuesday, according to a buoy that collects data for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the temperature in the river was around 8C (47F).

The Guardian reports that recovery efforts will continue tomorrow (Wednesday, Mar 27) with a team of divers.

How did the ship ram into the bridge?

As per Reuters citing officials, there is no evidence of foul play. The massive cargo ship was crippled by power loss when it crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge over the mouth of the Patapsco River at about 1:30 am (0530 GMT).

Dali, the Singapore-flagged container vessel, was heading out of the harbour bound for Sri Lanka at the time. The impact caused a trestled section of the 1.6-mile (2.57 km) span to almost immediately crumple into the icy water.

This sent vehicles and people into the river. However, thanks to the fact that the ship reported a power failure before impact, officials had stopped traffic on the bridge before the collapse.

"By being able to stop cars from coming over the bridge, these people are heroes. They saved lives last night," said Maryland Governor Wes Moore at a news briefing. Moore assured people that the bridge was up to code and there were no known structural issues.

Government to help rebuild the bridge

Speaking from the White House ahead of a trip to North Carolina, US President Joe Biden pledged that the federal government will pay the full cost to rebuild the Baltimore bridge and help restore one of the nation's busiest arteries.

Calling the collision a "terrible accident" Biden said, "It's my intention that the federal government will pay for the entire cost of reconstructing that bridge and I expect the Congress to support my effort."

When asked why the federal government should pick the tab instead of the ship operator, he said: "That could be, but we're not going to wait for that to happen. We're going to pay for it to get the bridge rebuilt and opened," and that15,000 US jobs "depend on that port." He also said he would visit Baltimore but did not specify when.

(With inputs from agencies)