After a highway bridge collapsed in the US city of Baltimore, rescue workers have stopped searching for six missing people. The authorities continue to assume an accident.
After the collapse of a large car bridge in the US state of Maryland, the authorities assume that six people are missing. The US Coast Guard announced in the evening that it was ceasing the active search for survivors. Given the water temperature, it is no longer expected that anyone will be found alive after so many hours.
A Coast Guard representative said they did not want to risk the health of rescue workers because of the dangerous currents and debris in the water.
Hours of searching for survivors
A huge container ship rammed the four-lane, more than 2.5 kilometer long car bridge on Tuesday night, causing it to collapse. After the accident, police and rescue workers searched for several missing people from the air and in the water for many hours – divers and infrared and sonar technology were also used.
Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld said the missing people were believed to be construction workers. They had therefore repaired potholes on the bridge.
No evidence of premeditated action
According to Maryland Governor Wes Moore, the Singapore-flagged container ship was heading toward the Francis Scott Key Bridge “at eight knots, which is extremely fast.” According to authorities, there was no evidence of an intentional act or even a terrorist attack. Everything pointed to an accident, they said.
The almost 290 meter long ship named “Dali” was supposed to sail from Baltimore to Sri Lanka, as the “New York Times” reported, citing the US Coast Guard.
US state of Maryland
Collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore
Crew was able to make an emergency call
According to initial findings, there was a problem with the ship’s power supply before the accident. US media reported, citing the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, that there was a “temporary loss of propulsion”, which is why the “Dali” was unable to maintain its course.
According to US authorities, the crew managed to inform authorities in Maryland via a distress signal that they had lost control of the ship. Officials on land were apparently able to stop traffic and prevent more cars from getting onto the bridge.