Bridge collapse: Temporary channel opens for boats working on response

The cargo ship struck Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge early Tuesday.

ByEmily Shapiro, Kevin Shalvey, Meredith Deliso, Riley Hoffman, and Nadine El-Bawab
Last Updated: March 29, 2024, 1:26 PM EDT

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.

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Here's how the news is developing.
Mar 27, 2024, 7:05 PM EDT

What to know about the collapse

The container ship Dali struck Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge at about 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, partially collapsing the bridge, officials in Maryland said.

A local pilot was at the helm of the ship at the time, Maryland Department of Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld said.

The steel frame of the Francis Scott Key Bridge sits on top of the container ship Dali after the bridge collapsed, Baltimore, March 26, 2024.
Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

The crash appeared to be accidental, not intentional, 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 29, 2024, 9:00 AM EDT

Heavy duty crane arrives at bridge

The Chesapeake 1000 crane -- capable of lifting roughly 2.2 million pounds at a time -- arrived at the bridge at 11 p.m. Thursday, according to the bridge response Unified Command.

The piece of steel on the bow of the ship weighs roughly 9 million pounds.

What to know about the Chesapeake 1000 crane helping with the Baltimore bridge response.
ABC News Photo Illustration

Engineers will need to figure out exactly how and where to cut the steel to ensure no further danger will be posed to construction crews or the ship, the Unified Command said. Once the engineers determine where and how to cut the steel, they will begin to remove it from the ship in multiple pieces, the Unified Command said.

The Unified Command is made up of agencies including the Coast Guard, the Army Corps of Engineers and the Maryland State Police.

A crane is seen near the wreckage of the Francis Scott Key Bridge on Friday, March 29, 2024 in Baltimore.
Steve Ruark/AP

-ABC News’ Sam Sweeney

Mar 29, 2024, 8:32 AM EDT

At least 1 vehicle still submerged

At least one large vehicle is still submerged under the murky Patapsco River, the Secretary of the Maryland State Police, Col. Roland L. Butler, Jr., said Thursday night.

Officials said they believe the vehicle belonged to the crew that was working on the bridge at the time of the collapse.

In this aerial image, the steel frame of the Francis Scott Key Bridge sits on top of a container ship after the bridge collapsed, Baltimore, March 26, 2024.
Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

Pieces of the bridge, concrete and rebar also are in the water, Butler said.

“It's going to take some time to get to that and it's going to take some time to do carefully, and then to shore that up before we can put an end to recovering whatever's in that vehicle,” Butler said.

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott told reporters Thursday night he remains hopeful that the four victims who are still missing will be recovered.

“We remain hopeful that in the course of this salvage work, we are able to recover those who remain missing and bring them home,” Scott said.

People pray at a vigil for victims of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore, March 28, 2024.
Julia Nikhinson/Reuters

-ABC News’ Beatrice Peterson

Mar 28, 2024, 7:28 PM EDT

Cranes en route to Baltimore to help clear channel: Governor

Cranes are en route to Baltimore to help clear the bridge debris from the channel, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said during a press briefing Thursday.

The wreckage needs to be cleared to help advance recovery efforts, after diving operations were suspended Wednesday night due to "security concerns," as well as to reopen the channel and ultimately rebuild the bridge, Moore said.

An emergency marine boat with divers and a police boat work near the collapsed section of the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 27, 2024 after the Dali cargo vessel crashed into it, in Baltimore yesterday.
Mike Segar/Reuters

The U.S. Navy will be providing three cranes, according to a Navy spokesperson. Among them, the "largest crane in the Eastern Seaboard" should be arriving later Thursday evening, Moore said.

"This is an incredibly complex job, and our timeline will be long," Moore said. "We've got work to do, but we're moving."

Rear Admiral Shannon Gilreath with the U.S. Coast Guard said assessments are underway to determine how to break down the bridge into the "right-size pieces" so that a crane can lift them.

"Our number one priority is to reopen the Port of Baltimore as fast as we can [and] do it safely," he said.

Mar 28, 2024, 6:02 PM EDT

Biden administration approves $60 million for bridge costs

The Biden administration approved $60 million in emergency relief funds for rebuilding the bridge hours after the receiving the request from the state of Maryland, the White House said Thursday evening.

"The federal emergency funds we're releasing today will help Maryland begin urgent work, to be followed by further resources as recovery and rebuilding efforts progress," U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement. "President Biden has been clear: the federal government will do everything it takes to help rebuild the bridge and get the Port of Baltimore back open."