Baltimore Key Bridge collapse updates: Biden views crash site from air as timeline given for port reopening

President Joe Biden got an aerial tour onboard Marine One of the wreckage of the deadly Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse on Friday and was set to meet with the families of the six construction workers who lost their lives.

More than one week on from the fatal accident in Baltimore– the president flew over the collapsed bridge with officials including Maryland Governor Wes Moore.

The US Army has now given a timeline for the reopening of the Port of Baltimore – announcing that a third channel, which will be 35-feet deep and 280-feet wide, will open at the end of April.

Then, by the end of May, the port will be fully open.

Currently, two temporary channels are open with depths of 11 and 15 feet – allowing some passage but not big enough for container ships, like the Dali, to travel through.

This comes as new video footage has been released showing dive teams entering the water around the wreckage – revealing the challenging conditions authorities are working in.

Key points

• Biden gets aerial tour of collapsed Baltimore bridge

• Biden to head to Baltimore bridge collapse site today

• Timeline given for reopening of Baltimore port

• Dali ship owners deny responsibility for deadly bridge crash

• Baltimore opens temporary shipping route around wreckage

President Biden expected to meet with families of the victims

20:48 , Michelle Del Rey

“I’ve been there,” said President Joe Biden, reflecting on the what it feels like to lose relatives in an accident. The president lost his wife and daughter in a car crash in 1972 and his son, Beau, to brain cancer in 2015.

“The anger, the pain, the depth of loss is so profound,” he continued, stating that the memory of a loved one “is going to bring smile to your lips before it brings a tear to your eye”.

The families are expected to meet with Biden this afternoon.

Biden delivering remarks from Port of Baltimore

20:32 , Michelle Del Rey

President Joe Biden is delivering remarks from the Port of Baltimore.

Watch them here.

Timeline given for reopening of Baltimore port

20:28 , Graeme Massie

The US Army Corps of Engineers has announced a “tentative” timeline for the reopening of the vital shipping channel near the Port of Baltimore, following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key bridge.

The Corps said it expects to open a channel 280-feet wide and 35-feet deep by the end of April, and reopen the permanent 700-foot wide, 50-foot deep channel by the end of May.

Currently, vessel traffic in and out of the Port of Baltimore remains suspended. Trucks however are still being processed inside the facility’s marine terminals.

“We appreciate everyone’s patience as we continue to work through this unimaginable situation. We thank all of our incredible federal, state, and local partners who are working around the clock to make this happen,” the Corps said in a statement on Thursday evening.

“We remind everyone to keep their thoughts on the families that have suffered unreplaceable losses. Thank you to all of our valued business partners for your continued support of the Port of Baltimore during this incredibly difficult time.”

Biden gets briefing on bridge recovery efforts

19:59 , Graeme Massie

Biden gets aerial tour of collapsed Baltimore bridge

19:22 , Graeme Massie

Biden administration asking Congress to foot the entire bill for rebuilding bridge

19:06 , Michelle Del Rey

President Joe Biden’s administration is asking Congress to allow the federal government to use taxpayer funds to reconstruct the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

Shalanda Young, director of the Office of Management and Budget, said the request was “consistent with past catastrophic bridge collapses, including in 2007, when the Congress acted in a bipartisan manner within days of the I-35W bridge collapse in Minnesota”.

She made the remarks in a letter to congressional leaders.

“We stand ready to work with the Congress to ensure the City of Baltimore and the State of Maryland has what it needs to rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which is critical to the nation’s workers and economy,” She wrote.

Read the letter here:

18:28 , Michelle Del Rey

Republican Representative Carlos A Gimenez of Florida probes army personnel about whether anything could be done to mitigate bridge collapses in the future during a Congressional hearing on Friday.

“I believe in Murphy’s law... it just says anything that can happen will. And obviously, look, it happened in Baltimore. It could happen. A ship lost power. It hit the bridge. The bridge collapsed,” he said.

“Could we have done something so that even in the event of Murphy’s law taking effect that we had protection around the bridge structure so that it would not collapse?” Mr Gimenzes asked. “Because now the largest port for vehicles in the US is knocked out of action”.

Governor Wes Moore signs executive action to provide financial relief to port workers

17:31 , Michelle Del Rey

Maryland will provide another $60m to workers and businesses struggling after the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

“The Port of Baltimore is one of our state’s vital economic organs and the thousands of workers and businesses that depend on Port operations have been directly impacted by the Key Bridge collapse,” Mr Moore said in a news release.

“As we work as quickly – and as safely – as possible to clear the debris and open the commercial shipping channels, we are working in partnership with our partners at the local and federal levels of government, private sector, nonprofit sector, and philanthropic sector to respond to this economic crisis with the urgency that it deserves.”

The executive order allows the governor to pull $25m from the state’s rainy day fund and $35m from agency budgets.

President Joe Biden to depart White House for Baltimore

17:00 , Michelle Del Rey

President Joe Biden is about to depart the White House for Baltimore, according to his official schedule. The president will receive an aerial tour of the wreckage around 12.30pm. He’ll later participate in a briefing on relief and recovery efforts.

Economic disaster loans available to small business owners

16:38 , Michelle Del Rey

Every port is vulnerable to an accident or attack

16:13 , Michelle Del Rey

Ranking members of Congress are drilling Coast Guard officials about ways that accidents like the Baltimore bridge collapse could be prevented.

Officials said that every bridge across the country is vulnerable to accidents like last week’s that could put US ports out of commission for months.

US Joint House Subcommittee begins hearing on safety and security at US Ports

15:26 , Michelle Del Rey

House representatives convened in Miami on Friday to discuss emerging challenges to safety and security at US ports as well as the state of port infrastructure and future investment needs.

Watch the hearing here.

Local leaders acknowledge ‘long road’ ahead

15:16 , Michelle Del Rey

Today marked one week since the fatal collapse of Baltimore’s Key Bridge, which took six construction workers’ lives.

Speaking at a Tuesday press conference, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott called the incident an “unpseakable tragedy.”

He added, “the road ahead is long and difficult” but we will “utilize every tool” to support the community and businesses.

Leaders also underscored that the bad weather has made the mission to clear the wreckage even more difficult.

US Army Corps of Engineers Col Estee Pinchasin shed light on some of the salvage efforts.

The state of the wreckage has made it difficult to know “where to cut, how to cut” into the tresses submerged in the water. She added, the workers are operating in an “extremely unforgiving” area, but they are developing a plan.

“The compelxity is even more complex than we thought,” Gov Moore said, adding “there are still a lot of unknowns.”

US congressman speaks out against Republicans opposed to funding bridge construction

14:30 , Michelle Del Rey

James E Clyburn, a Democratic congressman from South Carolina, spoke out against some members of US Congress opposed to funding rebuilding efforts for the Baltimore Francis Scott Key Bridge in an interview with NBC News on Tuesday.

“The fact of the matter is, all of us, every state in the nation, all 50 of us, will take our turns needing this kind of assistance”.

See it: Up-close view of the Dali ship under rubble

13:30 , Michelle Del Rey

Gov Wes Moore gives an update one week after bridge’s collapse

12:30 , Michelle Del Rey

WATCH: White House vows to ‘get to the bottom’ of Baltimore Bridge collapse

11:30 , Michelle Del Rey

Biden’s visit to Baltimore: The schedule

11:00 , Rachel Sharp

12.30pm ET – President receives an aerial tour of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge with Maryland Governor Wes Moore, Commandant of the United States Coast Guard Admiral Linda Fagan, and Chief of Engineers and Commanding General of the US Army Corps of Engineers Lieutenant General Scott Spellmon

1.35pm ET – President participates in an operational briefing on response and recovery efforts with the Maryland Transportation Authority

1.55pm ET – Mr Biden meets with federal personnel, state and local officials, and first responders

2.30pm ET – President delivers remarks reaffirming his commitment to the people of Baltimore as they rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge and reopen the Port of Baltimore

3.15pm ET – President meets with the loved ones of the six individuals who tragically lost their lives when the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed

First vessel passes through new temporary channel

10:30 , Michelle Del Rey

Biden to head to Baltimore bridge collapse site today

10:01 , Rachel Sharp

President Joe Biden will head to Baltimore today to visit the scene of the deadly Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse.

On Friday – more than one week on from the fatal accident – the president will take an aerial tour of the bridge with officials including Maryland Governor Wes Moore and meet with the families of the six construction workers who lost their lives

The White House said in an announcement that the president will then “deliver remarks reaffirming his commitment to the people of Baltimore as they rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge and reopen the Port of Baltimore”.

Maryland lawmakers hold hearing on emergency legislation for port workers

09:30 , Michelle Del Rey

Sen Ben Cardin praised Mitch McConnell’s ‘positive comments'

07:30 , Michelle Del Rey

Maryland Sen Ben Cardin thanked his colleague Sen Mitch McConnell for his “positive comments” that he made earlier in the day.

Mr McConnell said in a radio interview, “In situations like that, whether it’s a hurricane in Florida or an accident like this, the federal government will step up and do the lion’s share of it.”

His comments come after Republicans have criticised the call from Maryland leaders — and President Biden— to use federal funds to pay for the cost of rebuilding the bridge.

In case you missed it, John Bowden has the full story about GOP’s opposition to the use of federal funds for the bridge’s reconstruction:

Baltimore’s mayor calls for bipartisan Key Bridge repair as he faces GOP opposition

Could ‘Titanic law’ protect owner of ship in Baltimore bridge crash from compensation claims?

06:30 , Michelle Del Rey

The owner of the ship that collided with the Baltimore Francis Scott Key Bridge has filed a petition in federal court to restrict its amount of liability in the tragedy which resulted in the deaths of six people.

Grace Ocean Private Limited, the owner of the Dali ship, and Synergy Marine Group, the ship’s manager, submitted the filing under the Limitation of Liability Act of 1851, a piece of legislation that enables ship owners to limit their liability for certain claims to the value of the vessel and its cargo at the end of its journey.

The law notably protected the makers of the “Titanic”. After the ship sank in 1912, its owner, White Star Line, was served with hundreds of lawsuits totalling $16m in damages. Citing the 1851 law, the case ultimately made its way to the US Supreme Court. In the end, negotiations outside of court resulted in a settlement of $664,000 in July 1916.

To get the funds, claimants had to end their claims in the US and England, where the ship set sail, and acknowledge that the owner “had no privity or knowledge of any negligence”, according to documents from the Library of Congress.

Experts say the Monday filing in the Baltimore case was not surprising. “This is exactly what I was expecting would occur,” Martin Davies, an admiralty law professor at Tulane University, said.

Michelle Del Rey has the full story...

Could ‘Titanic law’ protect owner of ship in Baltimore bridge crash?

What is the impact the closure has had on supply chains?

05:30 , Michelle Del Rey

Shipping companies are currently looking for alternative ports to move their goods into the US. Alternative routes include Savannah, Georgia and Jacksonville, Florida Alex Cherin, a former executive at the Port of Long Beach told Fox News.

Still, he said that consumers will not likely see a large impact in the first three to six months following the tragedy. When it comes to automobiles coming into the country, he said that Port of Baltimore is very unique in how it’s able to process that type of cargo in a way that is unparalleled across the country.

“If there’s no facility available to either unload or offload automobiles on the East Coast, there aren’t very many other ports that can accommodate that”, he said. After six months, cargo might begin to be diverted to the West Coast.

The bodies of four of the men remain missing

03:30 , Michelle Del Rey

The bodies of four out of the six construction workers that died in the tragedy remain missing. Officials say that another vehicle is intertwined with the wreckage of the bridge and can only be recover once parts of the bridge are cleared from the water.

Last week, officials recovered the bodies of Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, a 35-year old from Baltimore, and Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, 26, of Dundalk, Maryland.

Commercial traffic starts to move

02:30 , Michelle Del Rey

A temporary shipping channel has opened around the Port of Baltimore to keep commercial traffic coming into the city following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge last week.

It is located on the northeast side of the main channel close to the bridge site. It has been marked with government-lighted aids for navigation. Officials said the passage is 11 feet deep with a 264-foot horizontal clearance and a vertical clearance of 95 feet.

It will be accessible to commercially essential vessels, officials added. The action marks one of the first in the effort to reopen the channel. Over the weekend, authorities removed a 250-tonne part of the wreckage from the site.

“This marks an important first step along the road to reopening the port of Baltimore,” US Coast Guard Captain David O’Connell, federal on-scene coordinator, said on Monday. “By opening this alternate route, we will support the flow of marine traffic into Baltimore.”

On Monday, workers were focused on removing a 350-tonne part of the bridge. A representative of the US Coast Guard who spoke to reporters at an afternoon news conference said that officials were also working on creating a second southwest channel to help deeper vessels coming into the area.

Michelle Del Rey has the full story...

Temporary channels to open around collapsed Baltimore bridge wreckage

Watch: Baltimore mayor Brandon Scott responds to racist remarks

01:30 , Michelle Del Rey

Inclement weather has made clearing the wreckage difficult

Friday 5 April 2024 00:30 , Michelle Del Rey

Gov Wes Moore said at a Tuesday press conference that “current conditions make it unsafe for rescue divers to return to the water.”

But, he added, “We have to move fast. But we cannot be careless... We have already lost six Marylanders we will not lose any more.”

US Army officials announce tentative timeline for reopening Port of Baltimore

Friday 5 April 2024 00:01 , Michelle Del Rey

In a press release issued on Thursday, officials announced a timeline from when they expect the Port of Baltimore to be fully reopened to commercial shipping traffic.

Currently, officials have created two temporary channels with depths of 11 and 15 feet. A third channel is expected to be completed by the end of the month.

According to the release, the passageway will be 280-feet wide and 35-feet deep. The permanent 700-foot wide, 50-foot deep channel will reopen by the end of May, officials estimate.

Debate ensues about renaming the Francis Scott Key Bridge

Thursday 4 April 2024 23:31 , Michelle Del Rey

Georgia Republican US Rep. Mike Collins helped stoke the flames over what officials could rename the Francis Scott Key Bridge on Twitter.

According to The Baltimore Banner, names have been suggested on Reddit, including “The Henrietta Lacks Bridge”, “The Spare Key” and “Frank Sobotka Memorial Bridge”, which would be named after a fictional character from “The Wire”.

Officials to meet on Tuesday to discuss emergency funding for bridge collapse

Thursday 4 April 2024 23:04 , Michelle Del Rey

The Maryland Delegation is scheduled to meet with Governor Wes Moore and the director of the US Office of Management and Budget Tuesday to discuss emergency funding for the incident, CBS News reports.

The meeting will be held at the US Capitol. According to the outlet, Maryland officials are unsure how much funding is needed from the federal government in the short term.

“The total number could be very well north of a billion dollars,” said Democrat Representative David Trone. “But nobody can give you a super close guess (about) what that (total cost) is going to be right now. There are a lot of design questions and unknown costs for salvage. But we need to get a big number out there and get it approved.”

Fundraiser for victims raises over $400,000

Thursday 4 April 2024 21:36 , Michelle Del Rey

A fundraiser the city of Baltimore is holding to raise money for the families of the eight men that fell into the Baltimore Harbour after the bridge collapsed has now raised over $400,000. Mayor Brandon Scott made the announcement during a news conference on Thursday.

Anyone wishing to donate can do so here

White House announces opening of second business centre for those impacted by port closure

Thursday 4 April 2024 20:27 , Michelle Del Rey

The centre will provide further federal government support to businesses affected by the bridge collapse.

The US Small Business Administration (SBA) made the the announcement in a statement on Thursday.

“The SBA joins the entire federal family in grieving for the lives lost in the tragic collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge,” said SBA Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman.

“As Baltimore and the wider community mourn and start to rebuild, the SBA and the Biden-Harris Administration stand ready to help local small businesses get through the economic disruption caused by the bridge collapse.”

Karine Jean-Pierre discusses Biden’s planned visit to Baltimore on Friday

Thursday 4 April 2024 20:03 , Michelle Del Rey

“Tomorrow, as you all know, the president is going to be travelling to Baltimore where he will receive an operational update,” she said during a briefing on Thursday.

President Joe Biden will be joined by Maryland Governor Wes Moore, Secretary Pete Buttigieg and other elected officials.

Speaking of the six men that died in the incident, Ms Jean-Pierre said, “They were hard workers labouring in the middle of the night to repair potholes on a bridge that tens of thousands of travellers crossed every day.

“The President will meet with loved ones of those individuals during his trip tomorrow.”

Engineers examining Chesapeake Bay Bridge in Maryland

Thursday 4 April 2024 18:42 , Michelle Del Rey

Officials are reexamining other bridges in Maryland after the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. The Cheasapeake Bridge, a 4-mile long structure which sits on top of the body of water bearing its name, is considered “fracture critical”, as was the Key Bridge before it fell.

The classification means that the entire structure could fail if one of its support beams are struck, according to The Baltimore Banner, About 17,000 other bridges across the country are also considered “fracture critical”.

US Army releases photos of responding authorities cutting parts of the bridge

Thursday 4 April 2024 18:19 , Michelle Del Rey

Dali crew worried ‘what world thinks’ of them after tragic collision with bridge

Thursday 4 April 2024 17:15 , Michelle Del Rey

The crew members stranded for a week on board a cargo vessel that collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore were worried what the world thought of them, an official said.

The Singapore-flagged ship Dali, en route to the south Asian country, has been stuck with 4,000 containers and its mostly Indian crew since last Tuesday after the vessel lost power and collided with a support column of the bridge, leading to its collapse.

The 20 Indian and one Sri Lankan sailors were in good health, including a member who suffered minor injuries, according to officials.

The “rattled” sailors had adequate food on board but were keeping quiet about their situation amid an ongoing investigation, said Joshua Messick, the executive director of the non-profit Baltimore International Seafarers’ Center.

“They’re not saying much at all to anyone who has been in touch with them,” Mr Messick told the BBC.

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar has the full story...

Baltimore ship crew worried ‘what world thinks’ days after Key Bridge collapse

WATCH: Moment first vessel passes through temporary alternate channel in Baltimore

Thursday 4 April 2024 15:30 , Michelle Del Rey

Who is Marciel Muise? The man leading the National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation

Thursday 4 April 2024 13:30 , Michelle Del Rey

Marcel Muise is a marine casualty investigator who served in the US Coast Guard and captained oil drilling ships and rigs before joining the safety board, according to The Baltimore Banner.

Mr Muise worked for the NTSB for six years. The collapse is the largest disaster he has been tasked with overseeing since joining the agency.

Biden to visit Baltimore as bridge clean up continues

Thursday 4 April 2024 13:00 , Michelle Del Rey

What economic impact will the port’s trade disruption have?

Thursday 4 April 2024 12:00 , Michelle Del Rey

The Singapore-flagged Dali container ship has shut down the Port of Baltimore indefinitely after it collapsed the 1.6 mile long Francis Scott Key bridge on the east US coast.

Around a dozen cargo ships were estimated to be stuck inside the port unable to leave as the bridge spans the only route in and out of the harbor where it is located. Another 30 small small cargo ships, tug boats and pleasure craft were also in the port, while about 40 heading for Baltimore were forced to divert

US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said that a “main area of concern” was the livelihoods of port workers, telling a press conference on Wednesday that thousands of jobs could be affected by the incident.

Baltimore handled 52.3 million tons of foreign cargo last year worth about $80.8bn. The port was the second busiest for coal exports last year, with its eight dry bulk terminals exporting 22 million tonnes of coal last year and small amounts of other metals and minerals.

At a White House press briefing on Wednesday, Mr Buttigieg adressed the impact of the crash on the local economy, saying that some 8,000 jobs were directly associated with port activities.

“Last I checked... about $2m in wages are at stake every day and that’s one of the areas we are concerned about,” he said.

Read the full story...

Baltimore bridge collapse sparks trade disruption as port shut indefinitely

New video shows dive teams in water around Baltimore bridge wreckage

Thursday 4 April 2024 10:08 , Rachel Sharp

New video footage has been released showing dive teams entering the water around the wreckage of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore – revealing the challenging conditions authorities are working in to remove the debris and get the port back up and running.

How did the crash occur?

Thursday 4 April 2024 10:00 , Michelle Del Rey

The cause of the collision is still being investigated, but evidence suggests the vessel lost power just before it crashed into the bridge.

The NTSB recovered the voyage data recorder (VDR), or “black box,” which provided a minute-by-minute timeline of the lead-up to the crash.

The data was made public on 27 March, showing that the Dali departed from Baltimore’s Seagirt Marine Terminal at 12.39am on Tuesday 26 March.

By 1.24am, the ship’s bridge audio recorded numerous alarms. Around the same time, the VDR stopped recording the vessel’s system data, but it was able to continue taping audio from an alternative power source.

The VDR resumed recording the system data and captured steering commands and orders about its rudder. Seconds later, the ship’s pilot issued a radio call to tugboats close by asking for assistance for the stricken vessel. The pilot association dispatcher then called the MDTA duty officer about a blackout, NTSB said.

A minute later, the pilot ordered the Dali to drop the port anchor and issued another high-frequency radio call, reporting that the ship had lost all power and was approaching the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

A transit authority duty officer alerted two units — one on each side of the bridge — who were already on the scene and ordered them to stop traffic, shutting down all lanes.

Two minutes after the warning call was made, at 1.29am, the VDR recorded 33 seconds of sound “consistent with” the vessel colliding into the bridge, the NTSB wrote. The Dali was moving at just under 8 miles per hour.

The pilot then radioed the US Coast Guard to report the bridge had come down.

While deeper analysis of the black box data has yet to come out, some experts have also questioned whether the structural integrity of the bridge itself was strong enough.

Julian Carter, a structural and civil engineering expert, earlier told Sky News that the structures of the bridge were “very weak” at certain points.

Fire officials said earlier that they do not have any information as to whether there was a problem with the 300-metre-long ship, and have not spoken to the pilot of the vessel yet.

Chief Wallace added that he could not confirm if there had been a fuel leakage from the cargo ship.

“We hope as the sun comes up, we will get a much better picture if we do have a fuel spill and what the impact has been so far,” he said.

Gov Moore said on 27 March that it’s still unclear what caused the ship’s power to go out. “There needs to be accountability to make sure these things do not happen again and that we have a system in place to make sure they don’t,” he said at a press conference.

In photos: 3D images capture the wreckage in the Patapsco River

Thursday 4 April 2024 09:00 , Michelle Del Rey

Remembering the victims: Miguel Luna

Thursday 4 April 2024 07:00 , Michelle Del Rey

Miguel Luna was the first of six victims who went missing when the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed on Tuesday to be named.

Luna is one of the men who is now presumed dead, his wife María del Carmen Castellón told NBC sister station Telemundo 44 in Spanish.

After the bridge collapsed Ms Castellón said family members like her were able to get into the restricted zone while they desperately waited to hear news of their loved ones.

“They only tell us that we have to wait, that for now, they can’t give us information,” she said earlier in the day.

“[We feel] devastated, devastated because our heart is broken because we don’t know if they’ve rescued them yet. We’re just waiting to hear any news.”

One relative of Luna’s also told Sky News they were “distraught” as they waited to hear news, and that some family members were taken to a location in Baltimore by police, where they could be with families of the other missing people.

His loved ones reportedly said he is from El Salvador and has children.

Luna was also identified by the non-profit organisation Casa, which provides services around Baltimore and other areas to immigrant communities.

“Miguel Luna, from El Salvador, left at 6:30 p.m. Monday evening for work and since, has not come home. He is a husband, a father of three, and has called Maryland his home for over 19 years,” Casa wrote in a statement.

One of Luna’s children, Marvin Luna, told The Washington Post that he knew his father was working on the Key Bridge overnight but did not know it collapsed until one of his friends called him up and said, “The bridge is … gone.”

Marvin then called his father’s phone, but there was no reply.

Men on board the “Dali” ship remain stuck in Baltimore Harbour

Thursday 4 April 2024 06:00 , Michelle Del Rey

The crew on board the “Dali” ship are receiving counseling from mental health specialists in the maritime industry, a representative for the Synergy Marine Group, the organisation managing the ship said.

“A dedicated team, including clinical psychologists, is currently offering round-the-clock support to the crew of the Dali, in the form of regular, individual and confidential counseling,” the representative said.

“We’ve also offered these resources to the families of the crew as part of a comprehensive response that is under constant review by the psychologists and the wider Synergy Team”.

The crew also has the ability to contact their families at any point, the spokesperson said.

The latest from the Key Bridge Response

Thursday 4 April 2024 05:00 , Michelle Del Rey

The tugboat Crystal Coast pushing a fuel barge, transited the temporary alternate channel created by the Key Bridge Response Unified Command, at 3 p.m., today and is the first vessel to use the channel since the bridge collapsed into the federal waterway on Tuesday.

The barge is used to supply jet fuel to the Department of Defense (DOD) and was transiting to Dover Air Force Base.

The Captain of the Port (COPT) established the temporary alternate channel near Sollers Point for commercially-essential vessels. The temporary channel is on the northeast side of the main ship channel in the vicinity of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. This action is part of a phased approach to opening the main federal channel.

This new temporary channel is marked with government-lighted aids to navigation. It will be limited for transit at the discretion of the COTP and during daylight hours only. This temporary channel has a controlling depth of 11 feet, a 264-foot horizontal clearance, and vertical clearance of 95 feet.

The Unified Command is working to establish a second, temporary alternate channel on the southwest side of the main channel. This second channel will allow for deeper draft vessels with an anticipated draft restriction of 15 to 16 feet.

Remembering the victims: Maynor Yassir Suazo Sandoval

Thursday 4 April 2024 04:00 , Michelle Del Rey

Another of the workers missing and presumed dead since the bridge collapse in Baltimore has been named as Maynor Yassir Suazo Sandoval, according to Martin Suazo, his brother.

Martin, who lives in Honduras, told CNN that his family over in Baltimore called him to tell him that his brother was missing after the container ship crashed into the bridge.

He is originally from Azacualpa in Honduras and had been living in the United States for more than 18 years. He was married and had an 18-year-old son and a five-year-old daughter.

His brother told the outlet that Sandoval was an entrepreneur who had started his own maintenance company, venturing to the US “in search of a better life,” Martin told the outlet.

In an interview with Honduran newspaper La Prensa, Martin said in Spanish, “What we’re living is inexplicable. We wish it wasn’t real. We’re dismayed, especially the agony of not knowing when they’re going to find the body.”

“My brother was a generous man,” the brother told NPR.

He gave a lot back to his community in Honduras, Martin said. While working in the US, Sandoval sent money back to Honduras — enough to open up a hotel which provided jobs for his town, including his family. On top of this, Martin told the outlet that his brother helped those with disabilities, paid for neighbours’ medicine and doctor’s visits, and he even sponsored a youth soccer league.

One of eight siblings, the construction worker was described by another one of his brothers, Carlos Suazo Sandoval, as a “joyful person who had a vision.”

“We still have faith until this moment, God grant the miracle, it would be beautiful,” Carlos told CNN en Español on Wednesday. “We still have hope, I know that time is our worst enemy.”

The Suazo family are now focusing on having Sandoval’s body found, and if they do, they plan to repatriate the body to Honduras, Carlos said.

The Honduran Embassy told Martin Suazo that it would work with him to bring his brother’s body back to the country for funeral arrangements.

Both Sandoval and Luna were members of Casa, the organisation said in a statement: “Our hearts break knowing that Miguel and Maynor were part of the six essential workers who were on the bridge when it came tumbling down...They had a dream of a better future for themselves and their families and made the brave decision to travel to this country for a brighter future.”

“In a time when there is so much hatred against the immigrant community, we look to the story of Maynor and Miguel who built bridges to connect communities, not building walls to divide them. Today and always we honor them and their sacrifices,” the group wrote.

Watch it: The efforts to reopen Baltimore Harbour

Thursday 4 April 2024 03:00 , Michelle Del Rey

Cruise passengers react to being rerouted after Baltimore’s bridge collapse

Thursday 4 April 2024 02:00 , Michelle Del Rey

Carnival Legend cruise passengers have shared their reactions to the trip being rerouted, after the collapse of the Francis Key Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland.

Following a trip to the Bahamas, the cruise was set to end on 31 March, with the ship initially docking in Baltimore, Maryland. However, after the Key Bridge collapsed on 26 March, Carnival Legend’s ship was rerouted, before being docked in Norfolk, Virginia, on 31 March.

As noted on Carnival Legend’s official website, passengers were then provided with a complimentary bus service back to Baltimore. The cruise’s next seven day trip – set to begin on 31 March – will also leave from and return to Norfolk. The following trips will abide by this strategy, instead of being operated in Baltimore, and passengers have been made aware of the change.

“We appreciate the pledge made by President Biden today to dedicate all available resources to reopen Baltimore Harbor to marine traffic as soon as possible,” the president of Carnival Cruise Line, Christine Duffy, said in a statement. “As those plans are finalised, we will update our future cruise guests on when we will return home to Baltimore, but in the meantime, we appreciate the quick response and support from officials in Norfolk.”

Amber Raiken has the full story...

Cruise passengers react to ship being rerouted after Baltimore’s bridge collapse

Maryland Governor urges people to donate to relief fund for families of the victims

Thursday 4 April 2024 01:00 , Michelle Del Rey

WATCH: White House vows to 'get to the bottom' of Baltimore Bridge collapse

Thursday 4 April 2024 00:11 , Michelle Del Rey

Governor Wes Moore said that federal and state partners are working with families of the victims

Wednesday 3 April 2024 22:02 , Michelle Del Rey

Mr Moore made the remarks during a news conference on Wednesday. He added that inclement weather has made it difficult for officials to remove the debris from the channel in order to retrieve the bodies of four of the victims that are trapped under the rubble.

“Current conditions make it unsafe for rescue divers to return to the water,” Mr Moore said. “We have to move fast. But we will not move careless. My directive is to complete this mission with no injuries and no casualties”.

Coast Guard official says that responding crew will adjust efforts during inclement weather

Wednesday 3 April 2024 21:40 , Michelle Del Rey

“Our operations continue but will be adjusted as necessary in response to any adverse weather conditions,” said U.S. Coast Guard Chief Warrant Officer Frank Schiano. “The Unified Command remains committed to re-opening the port while ensuring safety and environmental protection”.

On Wednesday, Baltimore weather was predicted to be stormy with lightening. Lightening in particular can make efforts to remove parts of the bridge more complicated and unsafe. In the afternoon, officials said the weather included thunderstorms and high winds.

Crew on board Dali ship prepared for 35-day journey, Coast Guard official says

Wednesday 3 April 2024 21:09 , Michelle Del Rey

Admiral Shannon Gilreath said that the 21-person crew on board the Dali prepared for a 35-day journey to Sri Lanka. Mr Gilreath said that the crew members have “all the supplies they need to be safe on board”. It’s previously been reported that the men do not have the proper visas to leave the ship, which compares in size to the Eiffel Tower.

He added that officials are keeping track of them and they are being supported

Two temporary channels are helping traffic, officials say

Wednesday 3 April 2024 20:49 , Michelle Del Rey

Admiral Shannon Gilreath said that the the two temporary channels that have been opened are helping with the flow of traffic out of Baltimore Harbour. Still, officials say they do not have a timeline on when they’ll be able to move the “Dali” ship out of the area.

Governor Wes Moore delivers daily update

Wednesday 3 April 2024 20:22 , Michelle Del Rey

Watch his remarks here.

Non-profit org helping migrants sends open letter to Biden administration demanding temporary work visas

Wednesday 3 April 2024 20:08 , Michelle Del Rey

CASA, a non-profit organisation that two of the victims belonged to, held a virtual press conference on Monday asking President Joe Biden’s administration to provide temporary work visas to migrants. The group also called for temporary protected status and humanitarian parole.

As part of the news conference, the advocates revealed a letter sent to the administration asking that construction workers receive the protective policies. Latino workers are eight percent of the construction workforce and suffer over 26 percent of the deaths, the letter stated.

“As construction companies and business leaders, we know that construction cannot function without immigrant workers. We also know that it is a physical, demanding, and sometimes dangerous work,” the letter reads.

“The deaths of the pothole crew stranded on the bridge illustrates that, despite many safeguards, essential construction workers are vulnerable to sudden accidents and deaths”. The letter was signed by the non-profit, leaders in the construction industry and other advocates.

ICYMI: How did the collision happen?

Wednesday 3 April 2024 19:00 , Michelle Del Rey

At around 1.30am ET local time, the Singapore-flagged vessel Dali struck a column on the Francis Scott Key Bridge, leading multiple parts of the 1.6-mile-long bridge to tumble into the water.

Just moments before the collision, the ship’s crew issued a mayday call. Maryland Gov Wes Moore added that the call “undoubtedly saved lives,” giving time for authorities to stop cars from continuing on the bridge.

The crew warned the Maryland Department of Transportation that a collision with the bridge “was possible,” the report said. “The vessel struck the bridge causing a complete collapse.”

It’s still unclear what caused the accident. But the ship was just 30 minutes into its 27-day journey to Sri Lanka.

Marcel Muise, the chief investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), said data from the shipping container’s voyage data recorder, sometimes referred to as a “black box”, was still being analysed.

Mr Muise said that around 1.27am on Tuesday, one of the two pilots of the Dali had made radio contact regarding a “blackout” and ordered for the port anchor to be dropped as well as issuing additional steering commands.

Several seconds later the pilot issued another radio call over the radio reporting that the Dali had “lost all power and was approaching the bridge,” Mr Muise said.

Transportation authorities say the water under the bridge is around 50 feet deep.

There was no indication that the crash was intentional, officials said.

Kevin Cartwright, director of communications for the Baltimore Fire Department, told The Associated Press that it appeared there were “some cargo or retainers hanging from the bridge”, creating unsafe and unstable conditions, and that emergency responders had to operate cautiously.

Jennifer Homendy, chair of the NTSB, said that over 750 tonnes of hazardous materials had been onboard the Dali container ship when the crash occurred.

An NTSB hazmat investigator was able to identify 56 containers of hazardous materials, a total of 764 tonnes of hazardous materials, Ms Homendy told a press conference on 27 March. The materials were “mostly corrosives, flammables, and some miscellaneous hazardous materials”, she added.

Some of the hazmat containers were breached, though state authorities have been made aware.

Second temporary channel opens around Baltimore bridge wreckage

Wednesday 3 April 2024 11:31 , Rachel Sharp

A second temporary channel has now been opened in the waters around the wreckage of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, to get trade and movement of goods in and out of the port back up and running.

The first temporary shipping route opened on Monday, with Captain David O’Connell describing it as “an important first step along the road to reopening the port of Baltimore”.

Officials said the second route for deeper vessels launched on Tuesday, with a third channel for larger vessels planned for the coming days.

Second temporary channel opened

Tuesday 2 April 2024 22:30 , Kelly Rissman

A second temporary channel was opened on Tuesday, just one week after the bridge’s catastrophic collapse, allowing commercial traffic to move through.

“I’m thankful that after only a week after the collapse, we have pathways and channels,” Gov Wes Moore said at a press conference.

Despite the victory, Mr Moore warned, “We are still a long way from being able to get the size and the cadence of the commercial traffic back to where it was before the collapse.”

Officials launch website for all information relating to Key Bridge collapse

Tuesday 2 April 2024 20:40 , Michelle Del Rey

A new website with information, including press releases, has been launched to provide the public with information related to the incident.

It’s available here.

Brother of one of the deceased men calls him ‘a generous man'

Tuesday 2 April 2024 19:09 , Michelle Del Rey

Martin Suazo Sandoval told NPR that his brother, Maynor Suazo Sandoval, was driven to help his family and his community in Honduras. “My brother was a generous man,” he said.

He also sent money home to his family to start a hotel that helped provide jobs for his family.

Vessels start moving out of Baltimore

Tuesday 2 April 2024 18:10 , Michelle Del Rey

Limited ship traffic resumed for the first time after recovery teams opened a temporary channel with a controlling depth of 11 feet on the northbound side of the wreckage of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

The first vessel to transit the channel was a tugboat pushing a barge supplying jet fuel to the US Department of Defence, the Coast Guard said.

A second temporary channel on the southbound side with a depth of 15 to 16 feet would open “in the coming days”, Maryland governor Wes Moore said.

A third channel with a depth of 20 to 25 feet would allow almost all tug and barge traffic in and out of the port after the debris was cleared, said Coast Guard rear admiral Shannon Gilreath.

Rebuilding process for Francis Scott Key Bridge likely to take several years

Tuesday 2 April 2024 17:30 , Michelle Del Rey

The New York Times is reporting that rebuilding the Francis Scott Key Bridge is taking several years. The bridge took five years to construct before it opened in 1977.

Collapse could fuel reinsurance pricing

Tuesday 2 April 2024 17:10 , Michelle Del Rey

According to the Wall Street Journal, the cost of rebuilding the Francis Scott Key Bridge will largely fall on reinsurers.

If the losses from the incident end up at the higher end of estimates, which are currently $2bn to $4bn, then insurers may add reserves to social inflation which could cause them to seek higher prices, the outlet reported.

Last year, natural catastrophe losses were capped at $108bn, above the 10-year average of $89bn.

Non profit to hold news conference Tuesday to call for work permits for long-term undocumented immigrants

Tuesday 2 April 2024 16:50 , Michelle Del Rey

CASA, an organisation that works with immigrants, is holding a news conference on Tuesday to call for better working conditions for undocumented immigrants.

The organisation said it has drafted a letter to President Joe Biden’s administration which it plans to reveal during the event. Two out of the six men that died belonged to the organisation.