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United States – The United States Coast Guard said on Tuesday that they have canceled the search and rescue mission for six missing construction workers after a cargo ship collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore causing the vessel to sink in the Patapsco River.
Officials said water temperatures around 46 to 48 degrees, poor visibility, and changing currents played a role in the decision after extensive efforts to find the submerged workers.
"Based on the length of time that we have conducted this search, the extensive search efforts, water temperature, at this point we're not confident that we're going to find these individuals alive," Coast Guard Rear Adm. Shannon Gilbreath said at a press conference.
Jembatan Francis Scott Key, di kota Baltimore, AS runtuh ditabrak kapal kargo
- AP Photo/Steve Helber
"So, we will suspend active search and rescue efforts," Gilbreath added.
The focus of the operation will shift to recovery and will resume on Wednesday at 6 a.m., officials said.
Around 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday, a Singapore-flagged vessel named Dali struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge while leaving the Port of Baltimore. The incident caused the bridge to collapse within seconds.
Officials said the ship's crew had warned of electrical issues and sent a mayday message before the collision.
Footage of the incident showed the cargo ship hitting one of the pillars before the bridge collapsed, plunging into the water and partially falling onto the vessel, where bursts of fire and smoke were seen rising into the sky.
Several vehicles were on the bridge at the time of the collision and plunged into the cold river, leading to hypothermia.
"There were also some contractors on the bridge working on the hole," said Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld.
So far, two people have been rescued. One person is uninjured, and another remains in critical condition, he said.
Jennifer Homendy, chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board, said at an afternoon press conference that the agency would lead the investigation, but she would not provide information on casualties or injuries from the incident, deferring that to local authorities.
