New Delhi: In the aftermath of the tragic Key Bridge collapse, Maryland state police have confirmed the retrieval of two victims from a vehicle entangled in the debris on Thursday. A red pickup truck, found submerged in the Patapsco River on Wednesday, contained the bodies of two individuals, following the catastrophic incident where a large container vessel collided with and brought down Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, as reported on Wednesday evening.
Federal officials, during a press briefing at the White House, conveyed their ongoing operations to locate missing individuals, clear the bridge wreckage, and move the ship responsible for the collapse. These steps are critical precursors to any reconstruction efforts, as noted by The Washington Post.
A construction team, engaged in bridge maintenance work, suffered a devastating blow with six members presumed deceased, while two of their colleagues were fortunately rescued. The National Transportation Safety Board’s Chair, Jennifer Homendy, disclosed that investigators have accessed the vessel to retrieve its data recorder, akin to an airplane’s black box, to piece together the sequence of events, The Washington Post details.
Governor Wes Moore has decreed the Maryland flag to be flown at half-mast as an immediate mark of respect, with no set date for its return to full height. This gesture serves to honor those who perished in the Francis Scott Key Bridge disaster.
President Joe Biden commended the swift actions of the ‘Dali’ cargo ship crew, whose vessel struck the bridge, precipitating its collapse. The timely warning issued by the crew to the Maryland Department of Transportation enabled the closure of the bridge, averting further loss of life, as President Biden remarked in his White House address concerning the bridge’s fall.
The Synergy Maritime Group, overseeing the Singapore-flagged ‘Dali’, revealed that all 22 crew members are of Indian nationality. Additionally, CNN has reported, referencing Rafael Laveaga of Mexico’s Embassy in Washington, that Mexican citizens are among the missing following the bridge’s collapse.