By LEA SKENE and BRIAN WITTE (Associated Press)
BALTIMORE (AP) — Maryland Governor Wes Moore cautioned on Thursday that it will take a long time to recover from the loss of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, as the Biden administration authorized $60 million in immediate federal aid following the fatal collapse.
Large barges with cranes are heading to the site to start the challenging task of removing twisted metal and concrete as the first step to reopening a vital shipping route blocked by the wreckage of the bridge.
Moore assured that the “brightest minds in the world” are working on plans to clear the debris, relocate the cargo ship that collided with the bridge, retrieve the bodies of the four remaining workers presumed dead, and investigate the cause of the incident.
“The government is collaborating closely with the industry to assess the area, including the wreck, and remove the ship,” stated Moore, a Democrat, emphasizing the urgent need for swift aid to set the groundwork for a speedy recovery. President Joe Biden has committed to the federal government covering the entire cost of rebuilding the bridge.
“This task will not be completed in hours, days, or weeks,” Moore emphasized. “We have a long journey ahead of us.”
U.S. Coast Guard officials reported on Wednesday night that barges were en route to the location where the bridge spanned the Patapsco River, but the arrival time was uncertain.
The destruction at the collapse site, which occurred when the powerless cargo ship struck a pillar supporting the bridge early Tuesday, is extensive. Divers recovered the bodies of two men in a pickup truck near the bridge’s middle span on Wednesday, but officials stated that the wreckage needs to be cleared before reaching the bodies of the four other missing workers.
State police stated that the vehicles seemed to be enclosed in a “superstructure” of concrete and other debris.
“We have exhausted all search efforts in the areas around this wreckage, and based on sonar scans, we firmly believe that the vehicles are encased in the superstructure and concrete,” said Col. Roland L. Butler Jr., superintendent of Maryland State Police, on Wednesday.
Officials from the National Transportation Safety Board boarded the ship, the Dali, to retrieve information from its electronics and paperwork and to interview the captain and other crew members. Investigators shared a preliminary timeline of events leading up to the crash, which federal and state officials described as an accident.
“The most brilliant minds worldwide are joining forces to gather the necessary information for a swift and safe response to this collapse,” Moore stated on Thursday.
Of the 21 crew members on the ship, 20 are from India, according to Randhir Jaiswal, the nation’s foreign ministry spokesperson. One crew member sustained minor injuries and required stitches, but “all are in good shape and good health,” Jaiswal reported.
The victims, who were part of a construction crew repairing potholes on the bridge, were from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, according to Butler. At least eight individuals initially fell into the water when the ship collided with the bridge column, and two of them were rescued on Tuesday, officials stated.
The accident made the bridge break and fall into the water very quickly. Authorities were able to stop traffic, but didn't have time to warn the construction crew.
At the Baltimore Orioles' first game on Thursday, Sgt. Paul Pastorek, Cpl. Jeremy Herbert and Officer Garry Kirts of the Maryland Transportation Authority were recognized for their actions in stopping bridge traffic and preventing more loss of life.
The three stated that they were "proud to carry out our duties as officers of this state to save the lives that we could."
The ship, managed by Synergy Marine Group, was going from Baltimore to Sri Lanka. It is owned by Grace Ocean Private Ltd., and Danish shipping giant Maersk stated it had chartered it.
Synergy expressed condolences to the victims' families in a statement early Thursday.
"We deeply regret this incident and the problems it has caused for the people of Baltimore and the region's economy that relies on this vitally important port," Synergy said, noting that it would continue to work with investigators.
Scott Cowan, president of the International Longshoremen's Association Local 333, mentioned the union is rushing to assist its approximately 2,400 members whose jobs are in danger until shipping can resume in the Port of Baltimore.
"If there's no ships, there's no work," he said. "We're doing everything we can."
The large vessel was carrying nearly 4,700 metal shipping containers, 56 of them with hazardous materials. Thirteen of those were destroyed, officials said. However, industrial hygienists who evaluated the contents identified them as perfumes and soaps, according to the Key Bridge Joint Information Center.
"There was no immediate threat to the environment," the center said.
Booms were put in place to control the spread of any oil that leaked into the water, and state environmental officials were also taking water samples on Thursday.
Divers sent to work under the bridge debris and container ship will encounter difficult conditions, including limited visibility and moving currents, one expert said.
"Debris can be dangerous, particularly when you can't see what's right in front of you," said Donald Gibbons, an instructor with the Eastern Atlantic States Carpenters Technical Centers.
The sudden loss of a highway that carries 30,000 vehicles a day and the port disruption will affect not only thousands of dockworkers and commuters but also U.S. consumers, who are likely to feel the impact of shipping delays.
The governors of New York and New Jersey offered to take on cargo shipments that have been disrupted, to try to minimize supply chain disruptions.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who met Thursday with supply chain officials, has said the Biden administration was focused on reopening the port and rebuilding the bridge, but he did not put a timeline on those efforts.
From 1960 to 2015, there were 35 major bridge collapses worldwide due to ship or barge collisions, according to the World Association for Waterborne Transport Infrastructure.
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Witte reported from Annapolis, Maryland. Contributing to this report were Associated Press writers Sarah Brumfield in Washington and Krutika Pathi in New Delhi.
