Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse updates — Baltimore officials move to ‘salvage operation’ as two victims identified
OFFICIALS are still searching for workers after two victims were identified in the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse.
Col. Roland L. Butler, the superintendent for Maryland State Police, confirmed that the bodies of Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, 35, and Dorlian Castillo Cabrera, 26, were recovered from a red pickup truck in about 25 feet of river water on Wednesday.
The workers filling potholes on the bridge at the time of the collapse were from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador.
Butler said that the search has moved from "recovery mode to a salvage operation" for the four workers that remain missing and who are presumed dead.
"Because of the superstructure surrounding what we believe were the vehicles and the amount of concrete and debris, divers are no longer able to safely navigate and operate around that," Butler said.
"We have exhausted all search efforts."
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Mayor asks for respect
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott asked for people to show "decency and respect" by not speculating about the bridge's collapse online.
"Don't spread misinformation," Scott said.
"Don't play bridge engineer online or in the media.
"Remember that these are people's family members who have lost their lives simply trying to make transit better for the rest of us."
Workers found this morning
Divers found the pickup truck in the water shortly after 10 am ET Wednesday.
Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, 35, was from Mexico.
Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, 26, was from Guatemala.
Both of the men were working for the construction company that was filling potholes on the bridge at the time of the collapse.
One of the men was identified by the driver's license in his pocket.
Officials working on 'replacement bridge'
Senator Ben Cardin said that state officials are working to reconstruct the bridge after its collapse.
"We are also working today on a replacement bridge so that we can also have those plans in place and have the tools and resources available so that we can reconstruct the bridge as quickly as possible," he said.
Two bodies recovered
Col. Butler has identified two victims in the bridge's collapse.
Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, 35, and Dorlian Castillo Cabrera, 26, were pulled out of a truck that fell into the water.
"We're now moving from recovery mode to a salvage operation," Butler said.
The victims who haven't yet been recovered were identified as people from Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras.
Governor spoke to president
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore shared that he spoke to President Biden on the phone about emergency relief.
"I do not know at this point what the total costs are going to be," Moore said, adding that he also doesn't know the timeline.
"We will get to completion. We will do it together," Moore said about the "daunting" task.
"Our resolve is unshaken."
Press conference begins
Maryland Governor Wes Moore, Sen. Ben Cardin and Sen. Chris Van Hollen are now speaking in a press conference regarding the Key Bridge's collapse.
"Today, we transition from search and rescue to recovery," Moore said, adding that divers started to search in the water this morning at 6 am.
"This is not a conclusion, it's a continuation," the governor said.
"And we take this phase just as seriously and just as personally as we took the last phase."
Press conference to begin shortly
Officials are expected to share an update on the Key Bridge collapse soon.
Maryland Governor Wes Moore has shared a livestream of the briefing on social media here.
Vessel moving at ‘very rapid speed’ ahead of crash
Maryland Governor Wes Moore said the Dali container ship was moving towards the bridge at a “very rapid speed” when it crashed into the bridge.
He said crews called a “mayday’ – an emergency signal – but the vessel’s speed appeared to be too fast to avoid the incident.
However, he said the distress call did ensure more cars were stopped from crossing the bridge, which prevented more vehicles from falling into the water.
Dive crews find ship's voyage data
Divers have found the voyage data recorder of the ship that crashed into the bridge yesterday morning.
The US National Transportation Safety Board confirmed the data recorder has been recovered.
One of the missing workers named
One of the missing workers has been named as Miguel Luna by the non-profit organisation Casa.
The worker from El Salvador is among six construction workers who fell into the Patapsco River.
The men were working for Brawner Builders when the bridge collapsed.
Search to resume this morning
The search for the six people who are believed to be in the Patapsco river was suspended last night amid concerns for emmergency workers.
It is set to resume this morning at 6am ET.
However, all six workers missing after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed are presumed to be dead.
Honduran father of two presumed dead following Baltimore bridge collapse
A Honduran father of two is presumed dead following yesterday's tragic Baltimore bridge collapse.
38-year-old Maynor Yassir Suazo Sandoval, a worker on the Francis Scott Key bridge, has been identified by his brother, Martin Suazo.
Martin confirmed to CNN that Maynor had been working on the bridge and remains missing, presumed dead.
Maynor has lived in the United States for 18 years and has two children, a son, 18, and a daughter, 5.
Mayor hails essential workers following Baltimore bridge disaster
Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott hailed the collective effort undertaken by essential workers, first responders and public officials yesterday.
Taking to X, he wrote: "A massive thank you to all of our first responders, elected officials, and support staff who mobilized today immediately following the Key Bridge collapse.
"Baltimore is strong, Maryland is strong and together we will help our communities recover from this unthinkable tragedy."
What to know about Dali
The cargo ship is owned by Grace Ocean Pte Ltd and managed by Synergy Marine Corp.
At the time of the crash, it was chartered by shipping company Maersk, which released a statement on the tragedy.
"We are horrified by what has happened in Baltimore, and our thoughts are with all of those affected," a Maersk spokesperson said.
Dali was supposed to leave Baltimore on Tuesday and arrive in Colombo on April 22, according to Maersk's website.
"We are closely following the investigations conducted by authorities and Synergy, and we will do our utmost to keep our customers informed," Maersk said.
Same ship crashed in 2016
In 2016, Dali was involved in an accident at the port of Antwerp, Belgium after the ship hit a quay, port authorities said.
Those on the scene revealed that at the time, the ship was trying to exit the North Sea Container Terminal.
After the accident, an inspection found that the ship had a structural issue.
The report stated it had “hull damage impairing its seaworthiness," according to data published on Equasis, a public database for the shipping industry.
As a result of the incident, port authorities said the ship had to remain at the dock for a prolonged period to undergo repairs.
"As a general rule, these accidents are investigated and ships are only allowed to leave after experts have determined it is safe for them to do so," a spokesperson for Antwerp port told Reuters.
Search suspended until Wednesday morning
All six workers missing after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed are presumed to be dead.
The search for the victims has been suspended until Wednesday morning at 6 am ET.
Guatemalan ministry releases information
While American officials haven't released any information about the victims, the Guatemalan Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the eight people were repairing asphalt on the bridge at the time of the horrifying collapse, according to USA Today.
Six victims remain missing after two men were rescued from the water, and the Guatemalan ministry confirmed that two of the missing workers are from Guatemala and aged 26 and 35 years old.
The ministry also reported that the other four are believed to be nationals from Mexico, Honduras, and El Salvador.
General Motors statement revealed
General Motors shared that the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse is expected to have "minimal impact" on operations.
Last year, the Port of Baltimore received at least 750,000 vehicles, making up 42 percent of the port's imports.
"We expect the situation to have minimal impact on our operations," the statement from General Motors read.
"We are working to re-route any vehicle shipments to other ports."
Big Three automakers reroute cargo ships
Automakers have announced their plans to divert shipments to alternate ports in light of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsing.
As a result, Ford, Stellantis, or General Motors vehicle owners may have delayed deliveries and slower service.
Reuters reported that the leaders of the Big Three automakers in Detroit will reroute their cargo ships to deliver vehicles and parts to different ports allowing the City of Maryland to rebuild after the Francis Scott Key bridge collapsed into the Patapsco River.
Watch aerial footage of the crash's aftermath
Haunting video of Baltimore bridge collapse wreckage released as Pete Buttigieg dragged for past infrastructure remark_NTSBHaunting new footage released
The National Transportation Safety Board has released new footage of the collapsed bridge.
"March 26, 2024: NTSB B-Roll of the March 26 Francis Scott Key Bridge that was struck by Cargo Ship Dali in Baltimore, Maryland," read the text in the seven-minute video posted to YouTube.
Aerial footage shows the scope of the scene as mangled pieces of the bridge stick out from the water.
Around two minutes into the video, the camera pans to the point of impact.
The MV Dali, a Singapore-registered container ship, sits on the water as debris shows the twisted metal from the crash.
Pete Buttigieg dragged for past comment, part three
Pete Buttigieg was questioned on his plans to "deconstruct the racism that was built into the roadways."
Buttigieg had previously said that racism was "physically built" into highways.
"I’m still surprised that some people were surprised when I pointed to the fact that if a highway was built for the purpose of dividing a white and a black neighborhood, or if an underpass was constructed such that a bus carrying mostly black and Puerto Rican kids to a beach — or that would have been — in New York was designed too low for it to pass by, that obviously reflects racism that went into those design choices," he said at the time.
"I don’t think we have anything to lose by confronting that simple reality,” he added.
“And I think we have everything to gain by acknowledging it and then dealing with it, which is why the Reconnecting Communities — that billion dollars — is something we want to get to work right away putting to work."
Pete Buttigieg dragged for past comment, part two
While some thanked Pete Buttigieg for his words, others criticized Buttigieg for not doing enough in his position.
"Thank you for at least calling someone," mocked one person.
"Any determination if racism played a role in this situation," wrote another person, referencing past comments Buttigieg made on infrastructure.
In 2021, Buttigieg made headlines after claiming highway designs in the US were "racist" when asked about a bipartisan bill that had been passed by Congress.
Pete Buttigieg dragged for past comment, part one
The US Secretary of Transportation is in the hot seat after taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share a statement regarding the scene in Baltimore, Maryland.
"I’ve spoken with Gov. Moore and Mayor Scott to offer USDOT’s support following the vessel strike and collapse of the Francis Scott Key bridge," Buttigieg wrote.
"Rescue efforts remain underway and drivers in the Baltimore area should follow local responder guidance on detours and response."
Pete Buttigieg pays tribute
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg spoke about the collapsed Baltimore bridge at a press conference today.
“This is no ordinary bridge. This is one of the cathedrals of American infrastructure,” Buttigieg said.
"It has been part of the skyline for this region for longer than many of us have been alive.”