Baltimore Bridge Live Updates: All six missing construction workers presumed dead, search op suspended

Baltimore Bridge Live Updates: Following the Key Bridge collapse, social media was flooded with several conspiracy theories.

While controversial influencer Andrew Tate claimed that the ‘Dali’ ship had been “cyber-attacked,” Donald Trump’s ex-national security adviser Michael Flynn suggested that the collision was not an accident.

Meanwhile, Matt Schlapp, chairman of the American Conservative Union, told Newsmax that COVID-19 lockdowns had undermined the bridge’s infrastructure and transit services. He also indicated that drugs could be the reason for the collision.

Baltimore’s mayor has said that the bridge collapse is “something out of an action movie”. “This is a tragedy you could never imagine,” Mayor Brandon Scott reportedly said. “Never would you think you would see the Key Bridge tumble down like that, it looked like something out of an action movie.”

Search divers are set to return to the waters on Wednesday, March 27, to look for remains of the six workers who are now presumed to have died. According to Maryland state police and the US Coast Guard officials, search efforts could not be continued overnight as diminished visibility and dangerous currents in the channel made it risky.

State police colonel Roland Butler said that beginning at 6 am on Wednesday, “we’re hoping to put divers in the water and begin a more detailed search to do our very best to recover those six missing people.”

“We do not believe that we’re going to find any of these individuals alive,” Coast Guard rear admiral Shannon Gilreath added, according to Independent.

US President Joe Biden lauded the prompt action by personnel on board the cargo ship ‘Dali.’ Personnel on board the ship were able to alert the Maryland Department of Transportation that they had lost control of their vessel prompting the local authorities to close the bridge to traffic before the catastrophic was impact, a move which “undoubtedly” saved lives, President Biden said.

Biden added that “Everything so far indicates that this was a terrible accident. At this time, we have no other indication – no other reason to believe there was any intentional act here.”

Following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge on Tuesday, a message from a DALI cargo ship crew member was received, confirming the safety of all on board. Andy Middleton, the director of the Apostleship of the Sea, relayed this reassuring news. The vessel, manned by a 22-person crew from India, had embarked on its voyage earlier that day, setting a course for Sri Lanka.

Middleton recounted his early morning communication with one of the seafarers, stating, “I was able to reach out to a crew member very early this morning around 5:30 (a.m. ET) or 6 (a.m. ET) and get a message to them asking if they were OK.” The response was prompt and affirmative, as the crew member assured within minutes that “the crew was safe, and everybody that [was] on board was safe.”

The recent collapse of the Baltimore Bridge was linked to a ship that lost power moments before the incident. According to Clay Diamond, the head of a maritime pilots’ trade association, the vessel’s pilot made several attempts to avert the disaster.

As the ship neared the bridge, it experienced a complete power outage, affecting its engines and leaving it adrift. Reacting swiftly, the pilot directed the rudder to the port side, preventing the ship from veering right. Additionally, the port anchor was deployed in an effort to stabilize the ship’s position.

The pilot also reached out to a dispatch office with an urgent request to close the bridge, indicating the severity of the situation. Images that have since gone viral depict the ship’s lights flickering off and then on again, leading to speculation about a possible restoration of power. However, Diamond clarified that while the emergency generators restored the lights, the ship’s main propulsion remained non-functional.

The search efforts following the Key Bridge collapse have been temporarily halted for the night due to perilous conditions. However, in a conversation with CNN’s Anderson Cooper on Tuesday night, Baltimore City Fire Chief James Wallacerevealed that a comprehensive underwater mapping operation is slated to commence on Wednesday. This initiative will involve a collaboration of numerous local, state, and federal dive teams.

Chief Wallace explained the unique challenges posed by the Patapsco River’s environment, noting that it is “tidal influenced, so it goes through tide cycles just like the open waters of the Chesapeake Bay does.” He emphasized the complexity of the search area, where water depths fluctuate between 40 feet and over 60 feet. The deeper regions present additional hazards for divers, including colder temperatures and zero visibility.

Providing further details on the conditions faced by the search crews, Wallace reported that upon their arrival on Tuesday morning, the surface water temperature of the Patapsco River was approximately 47 degrees, while the air temperature hovered around 44-45 degrees. These factors contribute to the challenging circumstances under which the search and rescue operations are being conducted.

Eighteen hours after the Francis Scott Key Bridge disaster, Maryland Governor Wes Moore spotlighted the “really heartbreaking conclusion to a challenging day” after the Coast Guard called off the search and rescue efforts at 7:30 pm, with six people presumed dead.

“We put every single asset possible — air, land and sea,” he added about the efforts to find the missing people. Even though the officials have transitioned to the recovery phase, Moore underlined that they were “still fully committed to making sure that we’re going to use every single asset to now bring a sense of closure to the families.”

Addressing how quickly the bridge could be built, Moore told reporters that the issue was “a top priority.”

Eighteen hours after the Francis Scott Key Bridge disaster, Maryland Governor Wes Moore spotlighted the “really heartbreaking conclusion to a challenging day” after the Coast Guard called off the search and rescue efforts at 7:30 pm, with six people presumed dead.

“We put every single asset possible — air, land and sea,” he added about the efforts to find the missing people. Even though the officials have transitioned to the recovery phase, Moore underlined that they were “still fully committed to making sure that we’re going to use every single asset to now bring a sense of closure to the families.”

Addressing how quickly the bridge could be built, Moore told reporters that the issue was “a top priority.”

Investigative journalist and former 60 Minutes correspondent Lara Logan has sounded a new conspiracy theory claiming the Baltimore Bridge collapse was “an absolutely brilliant strategic attack on US critical infrastructure”. Citing unnamed ‘multiple intel sources,’ she linked the ‘unseen’ cyberattack to the rigging of the 2020 presidential elections.

Appearing on the segment ‘War Room’ segment with Steve Bannon, she asserted that an analyst she spoke to remarked, “They have figured out how to bring us down. As long as you stay away from the teeth of the US military, you can pick the US apart.”

She eventually took to her X profile to detail the theory, highlighting the collapse will “will cripple the city of Baltimore at a time when they do not have the resources to recover.”

Baltimore Bridge Live Updates: US Coast Guard officials said to have transitioned to the recovery phase. Rear Admiral Shannon Gilreath noted, “Based on the length of time that we’ve gone in the search, that we’ve gone in this search, the extensive search efforts that we’ve put into it, the water temperature, that at this point, we do not believe we are going to find any of these individuals still alive.”

On Tuesday night, the officials came forward, claiming that the active search and rescue efforts would be suspended. Reports suggest that the only people on the bridge during the collapse constituted a pothole repair crew. Among these eight people, at least two were rescued. The other six missing people were presumed dead.

Col. Roland L. Butler of the Maryland State Police said that divers would hit the water at 6 am Wednesday, attempting to recover the bodies of the six missing workers, now presumed dead. “At this point, we do not know where they are, but we intend to give it our best effort to help these families find closure,” Butler said.

Baltimore Bridge Live Updates: Donald Heinbuch, who has earlier served as Baltimore fire chief, claimed the strong tremors following the bridge collapse jolted his home for a few seconds.

Recalling the horrific experience when the Key Bridge collapse occurred, he said, it “felt like an earthquake” or “like rolling thunder”.

Baltimore Bridge Live Updates: Biden said search and rescue operation remains a “top priority” as six construction workers are still missing.

Empathizing with those who want to hear about the victims of tragedy, Biden said: “You’re Maryland tough, you’re Baltimore strong.”

The POTUS went on to call the Baltimore mishap a “terrible accident”.

Baltimore Bridge Live Updates: Biden on Tuesday said there is no indication that the Key Bridge collapse was the result of an intentional act.

Addressing a press conference from the White House, he ensured full support, stating that he has already spoken to two senators of Maryland and Gov. Wes Moore.

Recalling that he himself has visited the Key bridge several times, the POTUS said he intends that the federal government pay the entire cost of reconstructing the bridge.

He, however, added that “this is going to take some time”.

Baltimore Bridge Live Updates: Confirming that rescue and search operation is underway, US President Joe Bidden said that the government will provide all federal sources assistance to Maryland.

Calling the Baltimore bridge one of the “most important elements for the economy in the Northeast”, he said that he will visit the city in Maryland “as quickly as he can”.

He said he will work with all the Congress members to ensure that Maryland gets all the support and assistance required.

“We’re not leaving until this job gets done,” he asserted.

Baltimore Bridge Live Updates: President Joe Biden has started addressing the Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore from the White House.

His speech comes ahead of his scheduled trip to North Carolina. Vice President Kamala Harris will accompany him on the trip.

Baltimore Bridge Live Updates: The Dali ship collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge near Baltimore, but no pollution was detected, according to the vessel’s owner.

“All crew members, including the two pilots, have been accounted for and there are no reports of any injuries,” the company said, adding that “there has also been no pollution”.

Baltimore Bridge Live Updates: Calling the Baltimore tragedy “heart-wrenching”, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz offered the people of Maryland resources.

“As we pray for the people of Maryland, we’re offering any resources they may need as they grapple with this tragedy,” he wrote on X.

Baltimore Bridge Live Updates: As Baltimore witnessed a massive tragedy on Tuesday, sports teams and several players have tweeted a message of support.

The Orioles baseball team wrote on X called Baltimore “a tight knit and resilient city”, adding that “Together we’ll get through this”.

Ravens American football team said in a tweet that Baltimore community “will stand together in the aftermath of this event”.

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson said his “heart, thoughts and prayers are with” those affected.

US President Joe Biden will deliver remarks on Baltimore tragedy at 12:30 pm (local time), the White House has said.

It comes after the POTUS held a meeting with key officials and ordered all federal resources to be made available to the bridge response efforts.

US President Joe Biden has responded to the Baltimore mishap, stating that he had convened senior members of his staff for a briefing.

“I’ve directed my administration to ensure every federal resource is available to assist search and rescue efforts and response to this terrible incident,” he wrote on X.

Maryland Governor Wes Moore also said that response teams “are doing everything in their power to rescue and recover the victims of the collapse.”

According to an Associated Press report, some major bridge collapses due to ship collisions have claimed 342 lives globally since 1960.

According to a 2018 report from the World Association for Waterborne Transport Infrastructure, 35 major bridge collapses happened globally between 1960 and 2015 as a result of ship or barge collisions, killing 342 persons in total.

Out of 35, 18 collapses were reported in the United States. These include BIG BAYOU CANOT in 1993 that killed 47 people, SUNSHINE SKYWAY BRIDGE in 1980 claimed 35 lives and EADS BRIDGE in 1988 injured 50 people.

Giving an updated statement on the current situation in the Patapsco River Baltimore Port authorities said that vessel traffic in and out of the port is suspended until further notice.

“At this time, we do not know how long vessel traffic will be suspended. As soon as that is determined, we will provide an update.”

Ford has stated that the Key Bridge collapse will compel the automaker to shift parts to other ports, disrupting its supply chain.

“It’s going to have an impact,” John Lawler, Ford Motor Company Chief Financial Officer, told Bloomberg.

In order to extend the supply chain, he said, “We’ll have to divert parts to other ports.”