Six workers are missing and presumed dead after a bridge collapsed in Baltimore Harbor early on Tuesday when a large cargo ship, suffering from a power loss, crashed into it, leading to the closure of one of the busiest ports on the U.S. East Coast.
Dive teams stopped searching for survivors about 18 hours after the incident due to difficult conditions in the dark waters filled with wreckage, according to U.S. Coast Guard and Maryland State Police officials. They said there was little hope of finding the missing workers alive because of the cold water and the time passed since the collapse.
The cargo ship, named Dali and flying the Singapore flag, was leaving Baltimore Harbor for Sri Lanka when it struck a support pylon of the Francis Scott Key Bridge over the Patapsco River’s mouth. The bridge collapsed into the water, causing vehicles and people to fall into the river.
Rescuers managed to save two survivors, one of whom was hospitalized. The missing workers were part of a crew repairing potholes on the bridge’s road surface. The ship reported a power failure before the collision, allowing officials to halt traffic on the bridge before it collapsed.
The closure of one of the nation’s busiest shipping lanes is expected to have a significant and prolonged impact on supply chains, according to U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. The Port of Baltimore, which handles a large amount of automobile cargo, is likely to experience delays and increased costs.
President Joe Biden praised the quick response of the U.S. Coast Guard and Maryland transportation officials and pledged to visit Baltimore to assess the damage. He also promised federal support to rebuild the bridge, which was named after the author of the Star-Spangled Banner and opened in 1977.
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