NOS News•today, 01:42
Six people still missing after the collapse of a bridge in the American city of Baltimore are probably no longer alive. That’s according to the Maryland State Police. Rescue services have suspended the search until the morning.
The six missing were road workers who were working on the 1.6-mile Francis Scott Key Bridge when a container ship rammed into one of the bridge’s pillars. The ship’s crew reportedly lost control of the vessel. Two people were rescued from the water.
The search for the missing continues at 6 a.m. local time. Then the search continues with divers.
The moment the bridge collapsed and what happened before
The number of victims could rise even further. Authorities previously reported that five vehicles were found underwater using sonar technology, including at least three passenger vehicles and a cement truck. Divers have tried to reach the vehicles, but the work on site is very difficult, according to a fire brigade spokesperson.
The National Transportation Safety Board, which oversees transportation safety in the US, is expected to board the cargo ship on Wednesday to investigate the cause of the accident.
President Biden yesterday called the bridge collapse a “terrible accident.” He has pledged that the U.S. federal government will pay for the bridge’s repairs. “I count on the full support of Congress,” the president said.
Biden wants the reconstruction to start quickly and not wait for an investigation into the exact cause of the accident. “I have instructed my team to move heaven and earth to repair and reopen the bridge as quickly as possible.”
