The search for survivors was suspended Tuesday night in Baltimore after the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in the harbor, but will resume. The six people reported missing are presumed dead, a coast guard official announced.
“Based on the duration of the search (…), the temperature of the water, we currently do not believe that we will find these individuals still alive”the vice admiral said Shannon Gilreath during a press conference.
The 6 people presumed dead are construction workers who were carrying out repairs on the bridge when the structure collapsed.
An expert told the BBC that their bodies could be trapped under the broken pieces of the bridge, on the bottom of the river, or carried away by strong currents.
Even if the water is not very deep, the bodies could be blocked by debris and divers and sonar might be needed to find them.
“A huge advantage is that the ship didn’t sink, so the investigators will have access to the records,” he said.
Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board will board the ship Wednesday to begin gathering evidence.
Why did the Dali ship hit the Baltimore bridge?
Baltimore authorities say they are still investigating the cause of the crash. So far it is known that according to a notice from the US Agency for Cyber Security and Infrastructure Security the ship “lost propulsion while leaving Baltimore harbor”.
The images captured before the tragedy show that the lights on the ship flickered and went out shortly before the impact, which would indicate a blackout on board.
Clay Diamondthe executive director of the American Pilots Association, told CNN that there was a “total blackout” on board before the impact, the ship lost its engine and power.
US officials, including President Joe Biden, said the crew aboard the ship were able to alert the Maryland Department of Transportation that they had lost control of the ships. I mean they put out a call for help.
At that moment, the ship was moving with a “very high speed” toward the bridge, officials said, meaning he could not stop or swerve in time.
The distress call from the ship prompted local authorities to shut down traffic before the impact, which “no doubt saved lives”Biden said.
But there are unanswered questions, including why the ship lost propulsion. Authorities say they are still investigating
Major and prolonged impact on supply chains
The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, a city in the state of Maryland (eastern USA), collapsed on Tuesday after being hit by a ship. The bridge broke into several pieces and fell into the Patapsco River.
The container-laden ship ran out of power and issued an emergency call moments before the impact, but was going too fast to change course, the BBC writes.
US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said he expects a “major and prolonged impact on supply chains”.
President Biden said the US government would cover the entire cost of rebuilding the bridge.
Shipping giant Maersk confirmed that the Dali vessel was chartered by it and Synergy Marine group was the operator or manager of the Singapore-flagged vessel. The registered owner of the vessel is Grace Ocean Pte. Ltd.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge, which is 2.57 kilometers long, was put into operation in 1977. According to official data, the bridge was crossed by 12.4 million commercial and passenger vehicles last year.
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