All the Important Information About the Baltimore Bridge Collapse
4 min readA major Baltimore bridge, which had collided with a container ship, suddenly collapsed on Tuesday morning, causing extensive damage to one of the busiest ports in the country and the terrible loss of six lives in the murky waters below. The bridge looked like a house of cards.
Six people are thought to be dead after a cargo ship collides with a Baltimore bridge.
The Baltimore Bridge Collapse occurred after a collision with a container ship, causing the significant structure to collapse reminiscent of a house of cards early on Tuesday. This event crippled one of the nation’s busiest ports and tragically claimed the lives of six individuals in the murky waters below.
As of Tuesday night, the search and rescue operation for the six workers on the bridge that were there when it collapsed has been replaced with a recovery mission, according to Coast Guard Rear Admiral Shannon N. Gilreath.
“We don’t think we’ll find any survivors,” he said, gesturing to the temperature of the water and the amount of time that had passed since the cargo ship and the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed at 1:30 a.m.
Governor Wes Moore of Maryland called the situation heartbreaking, but he also expressed hope for their discovery.
He said, “Our thoughts are with the families,” following the suspension of the search. “I cannot fathom the anguish these families have endured today, and the agony of these hours.”
The ship was in another collision.
James Wallace, the chief of Baltimore fire department, stated that two people had already been pulled out of the water. He said that one had turned down medical attention and was doing well, while the other was receiving care at a trauma facility because of serious injuries.
According to Maryland Governor Wes Moore, more automobiles may have fallen into the sea if onlookers hadn’t blocked the bridge and stopped further cars from crossing after hearing the distress call.
Moore called these people heroes and emphasized that “they prevented deaths.”
The bridge, according to Moore, was “completely compliant with regulations.” It is roughly a mile and a half long, crosses the Patapsco River southeast of Baltimore, and connects to Interstate 695.
The National Transportation Safety Board’s Jennifer Homendy said that her organization will oversee the inquiry and mentioned that the ship’s data recorder might provide more information.
“However, our current priority is the individuals, the families,” she stated. “The rest can be addressed later.”
Federal funds will be allocated, with President Joe Biden committing to the reconstruction of the bridge.
“The process will involve a delay,” cautioned the president. “Yet, the people of Baltimore can rest assured that we will stand by them every step of the way, until the port is operational again and the bridge is reconstructed.”
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg reaffirmed the commitment during his speech in Baltimore, echoing the president’s statement.
He underlined, “This is not just any bridge.” “It’s a cornerstone of American infrastructure.”
However, Buttigieg released a warning note stressing the need for time and money to complete the bridge reconstruction and port restoration as well as possible supply chain interruptions.
The Port of Baltimore, which is the eleventh largest port in the US, is the busiest port for automotive imports and exports, with over 750,000 vehicles handled in 2023 alone, according to figures from the Maryland Port Administration.
Timeline of the collision
The moment when the Dali struck a pillar, causing the bridge to collapse into the lake at 1:28 a.m. on Tuesday, was captured in a dramatic video. Prior to the collapse, vehicles and trucks were visible on the bridge during a webcast. Despite the impact, the ship’s lights remained illuminated, and it did not sink.
The timeline provided by the investigator states that at 1:24 a.m., the Dali’s lights abruptly went off and then came back on four minutes later. Thick black smoke started rising from the ship’s chimney at 1:25 a.m.
At 1:26 a.m., a minute later, the ship seemed to turn around. The lights flickered again in the final minutes before colliding with the support.
Search and rescue efforts reach a conclusion.
As of Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m., the Coast Guard announced the end of the ongoing search and rescue effort.
“We are just transitioning into a new phase,” said Gilreath at a press conference, adding that “the Coast Guard and our partners will continue our efforts.”
A recovery effort will now be the focus, according to Maryland State Police Superintendent Roland L. Butler, Jr. He stressed that as conditions change, divers are exposed to more risk.
Butler promised to “exert every effort to recover those six missing individuals,” but there are a lot of obstacles in the way.
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