Bridge Collapse Leaves Baltimore in Crisis

BALTIMORE – Rescue teams have abandoned hopes of finding any more survivors after a catastrophic bridge collapse in Baltimore that is presumed to have killed six workers when a container ship ploughed into the structure.

Search Resumes at Dawn for Victims’ Bodies

With the search for survivors officially called off Tuesday evening, dive teams are expected to return at dawn on Wednesday to the murky waters around the crumpled remnants of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Their grim task will be recovering the bodies of the six workers now presumed dead after being knocked into the Patapsco River when the Singapore-flagged Dali slammed into the bridge early Tuesday morning.

One of the two workers rescued alive on Tuesday remained hospitalized while the other was released after being pulled from the frigid water in the predawn hours after the accident. The six missing workers hailed from Mexico, Guatemala and El Salvador, according to Mexican consular officials.

Port Closures to Disrupt Supply Chain

The disaster has forced the indefinite closure of the entire Port of Baltimore complex, one of the nation’s busiest shipping hubs handling over 750,000 vehicles and massive amounts of container freight annually. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg warned the shutdown would have a “major and protracted impact to supply chains” even though alternative East Coast ports have spare freight capacity.

Traffic Nightmare as Key Route Cut Off

Losing the bridge, a vital link across the Baltimore Harbor carrying over 30,000 vehicles daily, has triggered a traffic nightmare for the Baltimore region by cutting off the main route between New York and Washington DC.

With only two other heavily congested spans remaining open across the harbour, the prospect of nightmarish commutes looms for months or even years until the collapsed section can be rebuilt.

Also Read | Moscow Shooting Exposes Russia’s Security Apparatus

Vessel Had Recent Safety Issues

Questions have arisen about the seaworthiness of the Dali after an inspection last year cited deficiencies with its propulsion system. The same ship also struck a quay in Antwerp, Belgium in 2016 as it was attempting to leave port there.

While the crew was accounted for and the fire from Tuesday’s impact was extinguished, the causal reasons for the collision itself remained under investigation by federal safety personnel with assistance from Singapore authorities.

Video footage captured the jarring moment the hulking container vessel slammed into the bridge in the early morning darkness as motorists’ headlights illuminated the span’s traumatic collapse into the water below.