On Wednesday, the bodies of two construction workers were discovered in the frigid waters of Baltimore harbour, trapped inside their red pick-up truck. The tragedy unfolded after a massive cargo ship collided with the bridge where they had been repairing potholes, causing a catastrophic collapse.
During a press conference, Maryland police revealed the sombre findings and indicated that sonar scans suggested additional vehicles might be entangled within the wreckage of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. It is feared that six out of the eight-member construction crew lost their lives, with four bodies still missing.
Authorities cautioned against immediate diving attempts due to safety concerns and instead announced plans for a salvage operation. This operation would involve dismantling the superstructure before attempting to retrieve the remaining bodies.
Colonel Roland Butler, the superintendent of Maryland's state police, expressed confidence in the sonar data indicating vehicles trapped within the collapsed structure.
The container ship Dali, measuring approximately 1,000 feet (300 meters) long and heavily laden with cargo bound for Asia, collided with a support column as it departed the bustling port at 1:30 am on Tuesday. The impact led to the rapid collapse of a significant portion of the bridge, obstructing a crucial passage for one of the United States' busiest trading ports.
The vessel issued a distress call just before the collision, prompting authorities to swiftly halt traffic on the bridge, likely preventing further casualties.
However, the construction workers on the bridge had no opportunity to evacuate before the ship's collision.
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