The US Coast Guard has suspended rescue efforts for the six people who were on Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge when it collapsed after a cargo ship collision. Recovery efforts are now underway for the missing people, who are presumed dead.
Here are the latest developments:
- Overnight search deemed unsafe: Recovery operations were halted overnight due to dangerous conditions, including unstable sections of the bridge and shipping containers hanging from the vessel. Divers will return to the water Wednesday to search for the missing.
- Coast Guard assessing hazmat threat: The US Coast Guard is examining damaged shipping containers, some containing potentially hazardous materials, from the crashed vessel, according to a US government document obtained by CNN and a US official familiar with the matter. The team is also examining the ship’s manifest to determine if any materials on board may pose a health risk.
- People from multiple countries are missing: Miguel Luna, a father of three from El Salvador, has been identified as one of the missing workers. Father-of-two Maynor Yassir Suazo Sandoval from Honduras has also been identified as one of the missing. Two Guatemalans are among those unaccounted for, and some of those missing are Mexican nationals, though we don’t know how many.
- Investigators to collect evidence: The National Transportation Safety Board is leading an investigation into the incident and will likely board the vessel Wednesday to begin evidence collection.
- Ship blacked out before crash: Minutes before impact, there was a “total blackout” of engine and electrical power on the ship, according to Clay Diamond, executive director of the American Pilots Association.
- Reconstruction’s hefty price tag: Rebuilding the bridge will “not be quick” and will be costly, according to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. President Joe Biden called on Congress to support recovery efforts and said he wants the federal government to cover the full repair costs.
- Vital shipping port closed: A top priority will be clearing the channel so the Port of Baltimore can reopen, US Sen. Chris Van Hollen told CNN Tuesday. He noted that around four ships cannot leave the port and about 20 others are waiting to get in.
