Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapse: 6 Feared Dead, Search Ops Suspended; Indian Mission Creates Hotline
Date
3/27/2024 4:00:50 AM
(MENAFN- AsiaNet News) The search for six missing persons has been suspended by emergency personnel following the significant bridge collapse in Baltimore, Maryland.
All six people were members of a nighttime construction crew who were repairing potholes on the Francis Scott Key Bridge when disaster struck not long after midnight.
The steel bridge, which was constructed in 1977, collapsed as a result of the packed container ship smashing into one of the supports, according to video footage. Rear Admiral Shannon Gilreath of the US Coast Guard stated, "We do not believe that we are going to find any of these individuals still alive. Based on the length of time that we have gone in this search... (and) the water temperature."
The vessel management business stated that all 22 crew members on the container ship that collided with the Baltimore bridge were Indian, and that they were all safe and well. Governor Wes Moore of Maryland hailed the Indian crew as "heroes" for their timely warning before to the crash, which allowed "many lives to be saved."
Every member of the crew, including the two pilots, has been verified as safe, and no injuries have been reported. A hotline for Indian citizens impacted by the bridge collapse was established by the Indian Embassy in Washington, D.C., along with condolences for the "unfortunate accident."
The Maryland Governor previously stated that officials' fast thinking after the ship made a Mayday call enabled them to prevent automobiles from going into the bridge.
“These people are heroes. They saved lives last night,” he told a press conference. The FBI and other agencies stressed that there was no known connection to terrorism.“The preliminary investigation points to an accident,” Moore said.
The governor also stated that there was no evidence that the bridge was physically deficient, stating that it "was actually fully up to code." "The crew that was out there working was basically repairing potholes, just so you understand that had nothing to do with a structural issue at all," said Paul Wiedefeld, the Maryland transportation commissioner.
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