Joe Biden inspects collapsed Baltimore Bridge, pledges help

President Joe Biden took an aerial tour on Friday of the collapsed Baltimore bridge and pledged federal help in rebuilding the span. He alsovowed to help those who have lost their families in theaccident.

A a cargo ship crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26, killing six people. The work to clear the wreckage and restore traffic through the Mid-Atlantic state's shipping channel is still ongoing.

Aboard his Marine One helicopter, Biden flew over the scene of the disaster to get an aerial view. He met local officials for a briefing on the economic impact to the Baltimore port, an important shipping destination for ships to offload automobiles.

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Biden during his address said, "We will not rest until the bridge is rebuilt and the area is back to normal.” US President further called on Congress to approve funding for the new bridge as soon as possible.

"I'm here to say your nation has your back and I mean it. We're going to get this paid for." And those responsible for bridge collapse will help pay to repair the damage and be held accountable to the fullest extent the law will allow," hefurther stated.

Biden later met the families of the six people killed in the accident.

Effort towards opening the main channel

Unified Command, a coalition of federal and state agencies overseeing the response to the bridge collapse, in a statement said that the Captain of the Port (COTP) was "preparing to establish a temporary alternate channel on the northeast side of the main channel in the vicinity of the Francis Scott Key Bridge for commercially essential vessels."

"This will mark an important first step along the road to reopening the port of Baltimore," said Captain David O'Connell, Federal On-Scene Coordinator, Key Bridge Response 2024.

"By opening this alternate route, we will support the flow of marine traffic into Baltimore," he further said..

The temporary route will be marked with navigational aids and have "a controlling depth of 11 feet (3.35 metres), a 264 foot (80.4metres)horizontal clearance, and vertical clearance 96 feet (29.26 metres)," added the statement.

However, the statement did not specify which vessels will be permitted to use the alternate channel or provide a timeline for its opening.

Aside from the upcoming temporary channel, an existing safety zone around the collapsed site remains in effect. This, as per the statement, is "intended to protect personnel, vessels, and the marine environment."

Vessels and people are required to obtain permission from the COTP or a designated representative to enter the safety zone.

As per media reports, a "remarkably complex operation" to clear the debris has begun at the incident site.

The Port of Baltimore is a vital hub for trade to the US economy. In 2023, $80.8 billion worth of foreign cargo moved through it.

How did the ship ram into the bridge?

As per Reuters that cited 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.

A timely Mayday call from the crewof the ship led officials tostop traffic on the bridge before the collapse. However,six workerswere presenton the bridge when the incident happened and were reported missing.Bodies of two of them havebeen recovered while the rest are presumed dead.

"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.

(With inputs from agencies)