Salvage work
Bridge collapse in Baltimore: Huge piece of rubble recovered
The salvage teams systematically cut off parts of the steel bridge using an exothermic cutting torch. photo
© Petty Officer 3rd Class Kimberly/US Coast Guard/AP/dpa
The first pieces of steel have been removed in Baltimore, but access to the port remains blocked. The governor: “We’re talking about huge parts.”
After the collapse of a four-lane highway bridge in the US city Baltimore emergency services have begun salvaging the first parts of the bridge. A 200-ton piece has been removed from the debris field that has blocked access to the port of Baltimore since the accident, ABC News reported, citing authorities.
Last week, a container ship rammed a support pillar of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing the more than 2.5 kilometer long highway bridge to collapse. Several people were killed. Since then, the steel framework has blocked passage from the port of the economic hub. The ship “Dali” is also still at the scene of the accident. First, a temporary canal will be created through which additional boats can reach the scene of the accident for rescue and clean-up work.
Tons of additional steel and concrete rubble still need to be removed, Maryland Governor Wes Moore told the station. “We’re talking about huge pieces here.” There are 3,000 or 4,000 tons of steel on the “Dali” alone.
How long it will take until access to the economically important port of Baltimore is possible again is unclear, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told CBS News. As Baltimore Port Captain David O’Connell announced on Sunday, a temporary alternative channel will be set up “for commercially important ships.”