The U.S. Coast Guard said on the evening of the 26th local time that the search and rescue operations for the collapse of the Baltimore Bridge in Maryland had been suspended, and the six missing people who fell into the water were presumed dead.
Maryland Governor Wes Moore later said, “We have done everything we can to search and rescue, and this is a heartbreaking conclusion.”
At 1:27 a.m. Eastern Time on the 26th, a container ship flying the Singapore flag hit the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. The bridge collapsed after being hit, and some people fell into the water.
According to officials from the Maryland Department of Transportation that morning, there were eight people on the bridge when it collapsed. Two people had been rescued from the water, one of whom was sent to the hospital, and the whereabouts of the other six are unknown. The six people were all construction workers and were working on the bridge when the accident occurred.
Moore said at a press conference that day that a preliminary investigation showed that this was an accident and that there was currently no evidence pointing to a terrorist attack.
According to US media reports, the pilot of the container ship said that a complete power outage occurred on the ship a few minutes before crossing the bridge. Although the crew tried their best to slow down, the accident was still not avoided.
Jennifer Homendy, chairman of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, said an investigation team will board the ship on the 27th to investigate the specific cause of the accident.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore was opened to traffic in 1977. It is about 2.6 kilometers long and has an annual traffic volume of about 11.5 million vehicles. It is a very important bridge in the local area. The Associated Press stated that the collapse of the bridge will bring a “nightmare” to shipping on the East Coast of the United States for several months. Shipping at the Port of Baltimore will be forced to interrupt, and it will also affect freight and people’s commuting.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Buttigieg came to the scene of the accident that day. He told the media that the bridge is very important to the region and the United States and will have a “serious impact” on the supply chain. Buttigieg also said, “Returning to normal will not be easy, nor will it be quick, but we will work hard to rebuild the bridge, reopen the port, and get everything back to normal.”
On that day, a large number of media reporters and people came to the vicinity of the bridge. Ayton, a 17-year-old high school student, told the China News Service reporter that he lives a 5-minute drive from the bridge. “It is so familiar, it is a part of my life.” “I can’t believe it collapsed. I am very sad. “.