BALTIMORE — A crane has appeared at the site of a collapsed highway bridge in Baltimore. As crews prepared to begin removing the wreckage Friday, the search for the four missing workers was hampered and ship access to Baltimore's vital port was blocked.
A crane capable of lifting 1,000 tons, said to be the largest on the East Coast, is expected to arrive late Thursday, and a second crane capable of lifting 400 tons should also arrive Saturday, officials said earlier. did. They will be used to clear the waterway of the twisted metal and concrete remains of a cargo ship that collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge this week.
Divers had already recovered the bodies of two men from a pickup truck in the Patapsco River, but the nature and placement of the debris complicated efforts to find the four workers still missing and presumed dead. There is.
“Divers can put their hands on that faceplate, but they can't even see their hands,” says Donald Gibbons, an instructor at the Eastern Atlantic States Carpenter's Technical Center. “That's why we say zero visibility. It's a lot like being locked in a dark closet on a dark night and really not being able to see anything.”
Gibbons said divers have to cut through the debris to remove it because items at the bottom cannot be moved without disturbing the entire mountain, and likened it to playing with pick-up sticks.
“So we use underwater combustion and underwater cutting solutions to help make those pieces smaller, so when we cut out the pieces we don’t impact the whole pile. ,” said Gibbons, who is not involved in the Baltimore effort.
People in Baltimore stopped at vantage points in the morning to keep an eye on the crane. Ronald Hawkins, 71, who could see the bridge from his home, remembers watching its construction in 1972. The bridge he opened in 1977.
Now, grieving, he stopped at the observatory looking for closure.
“I'm going to come here every day because I want to see the bridge come out of the water,” Hawkins said. “That hurts.”
Gov. Wes Moore said the “best minds in the world” are working on the removal plan. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, told the governor that the Army Corps of Engineers and the Navy are rapidly mobilizing resources from across the country.
“This is not just a Maryland issue,” said Moore, a Democrat. “This is a national economic issue. This port handles more cars and farm equipment than any other port in America.”
He thanked President Joe Biden's administration for approving $60 million in immediate aid. Biden said the federal government would pay for the entire cost of rebuilding the bridge.
Shipping traffic at the Port of Baltimore remains suspended, but the Maryland Port Authority said in a statement Friday that trucks are still being processed at marine terminals.
“There is much speculation as to when the channel will be reactivated,” the station said. “The truth is, we don't know.”
Federal and state authorities said the crash and collapse early Tuesday appeared to be an accident that occurred after the ship lost power. Investigators are still trying to figure out why.
Officials said the victims were part of a construction crew repairing a hole in the bridge and were from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. Officials said at least eight people initially fell into the water when the ship collided with a bridge pillar, two of whom were rescued.
The collision caused the bridge to collapse within seconds, plunging it into the water. Authorities had enough time to stop vehicular traffic but were unable to alert construction workers.
At Thursday's opening game for the Baltimore Orioles, Sgt. Corporal Paul Pastorek, Maryland Department of Transportation Officer Jeremy Herbert and Officer Garry Cart were recognized for their efforts in stopping traffic on the bridge and preventing further loss of life.
“We are proud to carry out our duty as public officials of this state to save as many lives as possible,” the trio said in a statement.
The cargo ship Dali, managed by Synergy Marine Group, was headed from Baltimore to Sri Lanka. It is owned by Grace Ocean Private Limited and chartered by Danish shipping giant Maersk.
The loss of roads and port disruptions, which carry 30,000 vehicles a day, will not only affect thousands of longshoremen and commuters, but also U.S. consumers, who are likely to feel the impact of delivery delays. will give you.
Scott Cowan, president of the International Longshoremen's Association Local 333, said the union is scrambling to help its roughly 2,400 members who are at risk of losing their jobs.
“If there's no boat, there's no work,” he said. “We are doing the best we can.”
The massive ship was carrying nearly 4,700 shipping containers, 56 of which contained hazardous materials. Officials said 14 were destroyed. Industrial hygienists who assessed the contents identified them as perfume and soap and said there was “no immediate threat to the environment,” according to the Key Bridge Joint Information Center.
Coast Guard Rear Admiral Shannon Gilreath said the container was hanging precariously over the side of the ship. “We strive to keep our first responders as safe as possible.”
