Baltimore bridge collapse: Divers find two bodies in submerged truck

Two bodies have been found in a red pickup truck that was submerged in water after the Baltimore bridge collapse.

Eight construction workers were on the bridge when a boat collided with it, sending them into the sea below.

Two of the workers were rescued that day, but the remaining four are all believed to have died, and a search continues.

Salvage workers are working to deal with the hazardous materials and accident investigators are on scene.

The names of four of the six victims of the bridge collapse have been known so far.

At a press conference Wednesday, Maryland State Police said the two workers recovered by divers from inside the truck were Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, 35, and Dorrian Lonial Castillo Cabrera, 26. was identified. Mr. Fuentes is from Mexico, and Mr. Cabrera is from Guatemala.

But police say concrete and debris found in the river means it is no longer safe for divers to navigate the ocean. They are currently using sonar scans and believe vehicles that may have carried other bodies are “encased in the superstructure and concrete” that fell from the bridge, officials said. Ta.

The names of two other missing victims who are presumed dead have also been released. They are Miguel Luna from El Salvador and Maynor Suazo Sandoval from Honduras.

Mexico's Ministry of Foreign Affairs earlier announced that two nationals were presumed dead, one now identified as Mr. Fuentes, and another rescued from the sea.

Authorities announced late Wednesday that one person who had been hospitalized after being pulled from the water had been released.

First responders searched the waters of the Patapsco River on Tuesday for six construction workers who were working to repair a hole in the bridge around 1:30 a.m. (5:30 p.m. local time) when the boat struck the bridge. I spent several hours doing it. The U.S. Coast Guard called off the search around sunset, saying the workers were presumed dead due to low water temperatures and the passage of time.

Authorities promised to find the body for the man's relatives.

“We have to give these families closure,” Maryland Gov. Wes Moore told reporters Wednesday, adding that air, land and water resources are being used to search for the victims. He added that he had arrived.

“My promise to them is this: I will dedicate every resource to make sure you get closure,” he said.

But the operation proved difficult, Coast Guard Lt. Gen. Peter Gauthier said Wednesday.

Divers were swimming in cold water with pieces of metal from a bridge that had fallen into the river.

Gauthier said the cargo ship itself is stable but is carrying more than 1.5 million gallons of fuel oil and lubricants.

Approximately 4,700 cargo containers were also on board, 56 of which contained hazardous materials.

“The Coast Guard is actively working to board the vessel and we have a team on board,” Gauthier said.

National Transportation Safety Board Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said some of the containers containing hazardous materials were “damaged.”

The U.S. Navy plans to use barges with heavy-lift cranes, some of which can carry as much as 1,000 tons, to remove parts of the bridge that have fallen into the water.

Marine expert Jim Bellingham told the BBC it would be important to investigate what happened on board.

“The big advantage is that the ship didn't sink, so we can access the records of the bridge and hopefully document what was going on,” he said.

Officials hope a data recorder taken from the ship overnight will provide more information.

The Dali was headed for Sri Lanka when it suddenly lost power and sent out a distress call, causing it to collide with the Baltimore Bridge.

Officials say a bridge collapse at a major port could pose a risk to global supply chains and the U.S. economy.

Mr Moore said 8,000 jobs could be affected by the bridge collapse, calling the incident a “global crisis”.

“National and global economies depend on our ports,” he said, noting that $80 billion (£63.4 billion) of cargo passed through them last year.

Maryland Department of Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld emphasized that replacing the bridge is not a quick process, but said at a press conference Wednesday that the agency is “working to come up with a design to replace the bridge as soon as possible.” “I'll be there,” he promised. It is possible to back up the port, back up the community and run it. ”

Experts say the collapse of the Key Bridge could result in losses of up to $15 million (£11.8 million) per day until the shipping route is reopened.

Maryland Sen. Ben Cardin said he is confident “thanks to the Biden administration” the state will have the resources it needs to recover and begin work on replacing the bridge.

“Opening shipping lanes is a top priority as it impacts our nation's and global supply chains,” he said.

Investigators also want to determine whether dirty fuel played a role in the fatal accident. Maritime experts say the contaminated fuel could cause problems with the ship's main generator, causing it to lose power.