The six individuals who were not found after the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore are assumed to be deceased, the Coast Guard declared Tuesday evening, concluding an 18-hour search-and-rescue operation.
Referring to extremely cold water and sea conditions, Rear Adm. Shannon Gilreath stated at a press conference on Tuesday evening that the missing people are probably deceased.
“We do not anticipate finding any of these individuals still alive,” he mentioned.
The 1.6 mile bridge carrying Interstate 695 collapsed around 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday after the container ship MV Dali hit one of its main support columns. The entire main span and three adjacent spans plummeted into the Patapsco River.
It is believed that the six individuals who are missing, all road maintenance workers, were on the bridge repairing potholes at the time of the collapse. Two other individuals were saved from the water, one unharmed and another with severe injuries, Baltimore Fire Chief James Wallace mentioned.
The Coast Guard also halted its search mission for the evening, vowing to initiate the “recovery” phase Wednesday.
The collapse has caused disruption in East Coast logistics, shutting down the bustling Port of Baltimore and Interstate 695. Shippers were already hurrying Tuesday to transport cargo to neighboring ports in Virginia and elsewhere.
President Biden assured that the federal government will go to great lengths to reconstruct the bridge and keep port workers employed, although construction time estimates range from several months to as long as a year.
