Six workers are feared dead following a bridge collapse in Baltimore Harbor during the early hours of Tuesday morning, city police confirmed.
The disaster unfolded when a large cargo ship, experiencing a power outage, collided with the bridge, resulting in the closure of a major port along the US East Coast.
Efforts to rescue those affected were met with challenges as dive teams faced dangerous conditions in the dark, debris-filled waters. Despite valiant efforts, search-and-rescue operations were halted approximately 18 hours after the incident, as announced by officials from the US Coast Guard and Maryland State Police.
Rear Admiral Shannon Gilreath of the Coast Guard acknowledged the slim chances of finding survivors due to the cold water and the considerable time elapsed since the tragic event.
State Police Colonel Roland Butler expressed hope to resume diving operations at dawn on Wednesday in an effort to recover the bodies of the missing workers.
The catastrophe occurred around 1:30 am when the Singapore-flagged cargo vessel, named Dali, collided with a support pylon of the Francis Scott Key Bridge at the entrance of the Patapsco River. The impact caused a section of the 1.6-mile bridge to collapse into the icy waters below, leading to the submersion of vehicles and individuals.
Rescuers managed to extract two survivors from the wreckage, one of whom required medical attention. Regrettably, the six missing workers were part of a crew conducting road repairs on the bridge, as disclosed by authorities.
