Baltimore bridge collapse: First missing worker named – as rescue mission becomes a recovery operation.

After the 1.6-mile long bridge fell on Tuesday, the US president declared that he had ordered his staff to “move heaven and earth” in order to “rebuild the bridge as soon as humanly possible”.

The six missing persons’ rescue attempt has now turned into a recovery operation, according to officials, while US President Joe Biden has pledged to visit Baltimore “as soon as possible” following the collapse of a key bridge.

Six persons were on the Francis Scott Key Bridge when it collapsed following a collision with a 289-meter-long cargo ship, including Miguel Luna of El Salvador.

Construction workers were reportedly on the bridge patching potholes when they went missing. The six, who were employed by Brawner Builders, are all thought to be deceased.

 

A Mr. Luna relative told Sky News that they were praying for news of their loved one and that part of his family had been brought by police to a site in Baltimore so they could be with the other relatives of the missing.

A coworker of Mr. Luna’s named Jose Campos also spoke to Sky, saying, “My boss phoned me in the morning and informed me they had rescued one of my coworkers but he was in a coma.

“I never thought something this terrible could occur. The boat’s route was intended to be a secure area.”

At 1.30 a.m. local time (5.30 a.m. UK time) on Tuesday, the 1.6-mile bridge collapsed into the Patapsco River. Joe Biden immediately reassured the Baltimore residents, saying, “We’re with you.” He also mentioned that the search and rescue effort was a “top priority.”

The search has now been put on hold for the night and will pick back up at first light, but officials from the US Coast Guard and Maryland State Police have stated that there is little to no chance that the six could be found alive given the cold water’s temperature and the amount of time that has passed since the bridge collapsed.

Two of the eight persons who were initially missing have been pulled out of the sea.

ALSO READ:-https://todayusnews.in/anthony-mackie/

While the other remained unharmed, one of them is said to be in a hospital in a “very serious condition”.

The US president declared that the “full cost” of reconstructing the bridge would be paid for by the federal government. He stated that although it could turn out that a private enterprise caused the accident, his administration is “not going to wait” to start the reconstruction.

“It’s my intention that the federal government will pay for the entire cost of reconstructing that bridge and I expect Congress to support my effort,” Mr. Biden said to reporters at the White House.

“So far, everything points to this being a horrific accident,” the US president went on. As of right now, there is no more evidence or cause for us to think that this was a deliberate act.

“Personnel on board the ship were able to alert the Maryland Department of Transportation that they had lost control of their vessel.”

This, Mr. Biden continued, “undoubtedly saved lives” because it allowed local authorities to close the bridge before it was struck.

“Our prayers are with all the families [affected] and everyone involved in this terrible accident, especially those who are waiting for news of their loved one right now,” he concluded. I am aware that under such a situation, every minute seems to last forever.”

The US president said that efforts will be made by the authorities to reopen the port as soon as feasible.

One of the major maritime centers in the United States is the Port of Baltimore, which may be reached or left by passing across the bridge.

As Mr. Biden put it, the port supports 15,000 jobs.

“We’re going to do everything we can to protect those jobs,” he stated.

He went on to say: “I’ve directed my team to move heaven and earth to reopen the port and rebuild the bridge as soon as humanly possible.”

Multiple cars, one the size of a tractor-trailer, were on the bridge when it was struck by the ship, according to Baltimore Fire Department Communications Chief Kevin Cartwright.

The ship called the Dali, lost power, changed direction, and began smoking approximately 60 seconds before it struck the bridge, according to CCTV and marine monitoring data.

The CCTV shows that the bridge collapsed four seconds after the vessel struck the structure at 1.28:44 in the morning.

There have been no reports of casualties, and all 22 crew members—including the two pilots—on board the ship have been verified as safe.

Baltimore Bridge Collapse

Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said during a press conference that they would not be boarding the Dali on Tuesday.

The decision to provide “some time to the search and recovery effort” was decided, according to Jennifer Homendy, head of the authority.

She said, “We didn’t want to get involved.”

According to Ms. Homendy, voyager data recorder information will be “critical” and the NTSB will be able to offer further details in the “coming days”.

She stated that the Coast Guard will assist the NTSB in heading the inquiry.

Shipwrecklog and Vessel Finder both indicate that the same ship was engaged in a small incident in 2016 when it struck a pier at the Port of Antwerp in Belgium.

The collision appears to have damaged the vessel, although no injuries or environmental problems were recorded.

As the hunt for the missing continues, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott has issued a municipal state of emergency, which will last for the next 30 days.

An inquiry into the event is also being carried out by the NTSB.

At the time of the collision, the ship was flying the Singapore flag and was sailing toward Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Danish shipping firm Maersk, which said it was “horrified by what has happened”, chartered it. It expressed that it was thinking about all those impacted.

Being the eleventh biggest port in the United States, the shutdown of the Port of Baltimore will have a ripple impact on the sector.

The National Steel Bridge Alliance states that the 1977-built Francis Scott Key Bridge is among the world’s longest continuous truss bridges.

ALSO READ:-https://dharmikvartalapkendra.online/aaj-ka-rashifal-7/