A cargo ship crashed into Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge early Tuesday morning, causing a near-total collapse of the span and halting vessel traffic into and out of the Port of Baltimore.
Six construction workers are believed to have fallen from the collapsing bridge into the frigid waters of the Patapsco River below. The bodies of two of the victims have been recovered so far, while four remain missing and are presumed dead, officials said.
Two construction workers were rescued and six went missing in the immediate aftermath of the collapse, officials said. The bodies of two of the victims were recovered from the water on Wednesday amid ongoing search and recovery efforts, while four remain missing and are presumed dead, officials said.
Mar 27, 2024, 10:30 AM EDT
By the numbers: Vessels impacted
The closure of the waterway will immediately impact the arrival or departure of eight foreign cargo vessels and four U.S. cargo vessels, according to an updated assessment obtained by ABC News.
This handout screengrab courtesy of the National Transportation Safety Board taken on March 26, 2024, shows part of the steel frame of the Francis Scott Key Bridge sitting after the bridge collapsed in Baltimore.
National Transportation Safety Board /Youtube /AFP via Getty Images
From March 26 to April 9, arrivals into the Port of Baltimore of an estimated two chemical tank ships, five container ships, 15 vehicle carriers and 13 bulk carriers may be impacted.
One cruise vessel is anticipated to arrive on April 4, which may also be impacted.
Bridge Collapse
ABC News
-ABC News’ Josh Margolin and Aaron Katersky
Mar 27, 2024, 8:36 AM EDT
Water unsafe for divers: DHS memo
Imagery from underwater drones show "an abundance of twisted metal and debris" from the collapsed bridge, making it unsafe for divers to enter the frigid water to search for the six missing construction workers, according to a new assessment of the situation from the Department of Homeland Security obtained by ABC News.
One truck and trailer have been recovered, and one vehicle remains hanging from the metal structure, according to DHS.
The collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge is shown after being struck by a cargo ship on March 26, 2024 in Edgemere, Md.
Kena Betancur/Getty Images
The 23 ship crew members are all accounted for, and one was transported to a local hospital with a minor injury, the document said.
With the Port of Baltimore closed to maritime traffic, transportation officials expect backups to rail and truck freight shipments as cargo shifts along the eastern seaboard, the document said.
A satellite image shows a closer view of the Dali container ship and a collpased Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Md., March 26, 2024.
Maxar Technologies/via Reuters
Investigators have determined there are 13 damaged containers aboard the ship and they are being inspected for any potentially hazardous materials, DHS said.
"There is minor sheening on-scene. Booming has been ordered and is staged but will not be placed until search and rescue and dive operations are complete," the document said. "The amount of potential oil spill is 1.8M gallons of marine grade diesel."
National Transportation Safety Board investigators are combing on Wednesday through a voyage-data recorder in an attempt to recreate a timeline of Tuesday's cargo-ship crash, Jennifer Homendy, NTSB chairwoman, said Wednesday.
“We do have a download from the voyage data recorder that we've sent back to our lab to evaluate the data and begin to construct a timeline of events, which we hope to have later today,” Homendy said on “Good Morning America.”
2:37
NTSB chairwoman discusses Francis Scott Key Bridge investigation
Jennifer Homendy says that the bridge was rated as "satisfactory" during the last inspection in May 2023 by the Federal Highway Administration.
ABCNews.com
NTSB investigators, who are leading the investigation, arrived at the bridge scene at 6 a.m. on Tuesday. Twenty-four NTSB staffers were on site, including several specialising in nautical operations, human performance and engineering, Homendy said Tuesday.
She said on Wednesday that those investigators were expected later in the day to board Dali, the vessel that crashed into the bridge.
“We aren't looking at the structure today,” she said, meaning the fallen bridge. “We will be boarding the vessel at some point today to begin to look at the devastation really, and then look through the vessel itself. “
Mar 27, 2024, 7:39 AM EDT
Investigation is urgent, but will 'take time,' Gov. Moore says
Investigators were busy working on Wednesday to discover what caused the power loss prior to the crash, but the full investigation and repair efforts will take "not days, weeks nor even months," Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said on Wednesday.
"This is complicated. It is difficult. But we still have to be able to move with a sense of urgency and we are going to get it done. But this is going to take time," Moore said in an interview on "Good Morning America." "This is not days, weeks nor even months."
4:14
Maryland governor on recovery efforts after Francis Scott Key Bridge disaster
Gov. Wes Moore joins “GMA” to share what he knows about the cargo ship that collided with the bridge, the plan to rebuild and efforts made by first responders to save lives after the disaster.
ABCNews.com
"We still have information that we have to uncover," he said, "The thing that we do know though is that with a ship of that size, moving at that kind of clip, it was going to be difficult for that type of bridge to be able to sustain."
Moore and other government officials had met on Tuesday with the families of the missing, as the search continued.
"Had the opportunity to pray with them and pray for them," he said Tuesday. "And the strength of these families is absolutely remarkable, and we want to let them know that we are here with you every single step."
Maryland Governor Wes Moore addresses a press conference at the scene of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore, Md., 26 Mar. 26, 2024.
