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 26, 2024, 12:33 PM EDT
No cars transiting bridge at time of collapse: Internal DHS briefing
Maryland transportation officials reviewed traffic cameras and confirmed there were "no vehicles transiting the bridge at the time of the incident," according to the latest internal Department of Homeland Security briefing obtained by ABC News.
The steel frame of the Francis Scott Key Bridge lies in the water after it collapsed in Baltimore, March 26, 2024.
Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images
The local pilot who was at the controls is “undergoing post-accident Drug and Alcohol Testing,” the briefing said.
The cargo ship "remains impaled in the bridge," the document said. "Several shipping containers with unknown cargo fell into water. There is hull damage above the water line to the vessel and the ship is maintaining watertight integrity."
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.
Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images
A slight sheen of pollution was observed in the water, suggesting there could be some oil or other pollutant “in the vicinity of the ship and pollution booms have been requested,” the memo said.
-ABC News' Josh Margolin and Aaron Katersky
Mar 26, 2024, 11:00 AM EDT
6 unaccounted for
Six people remain unaccounted for as the desperate search continues at the site of the bridge collapse, Coast Guard officials said at a Tuesday morning news conference.
Two were rescued, including one who was hospitalized and later discharged, officials said. Construction workers were on the bridge working on potholes at the time of the collapse, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said.
An injured sailor from Dali cargo vessel is loaded into an ambulance, after getting taken off the ship, following Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse, in Baltimore, March 26, 2024.
Julia Nikhinson/Reuters
"To hear the words that the Key Bridge has collapsed, it's shocking and heartbreaking," Moore said. "It's not just unprecedented, what we’re seeing today -- it’s heartbreaking."
The collapse appears to be an accident, Moore said.
There’s nothing to suggest ties to terrorism, the FBI added.
1:57
6 unaccounted for in Baltimore bridge collapse
Construction workers were on the bridge working on potholes at the time of the collapse, Governor Wes Moore said.
The container ship was moving at 8 knots, which is considered fast, officials noted.
A local pilot was at the helm of the ship at the time, Maryland Department of Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld said.
A harbor pilot and assistant onboard the cargo ship reported power issues, multiple alarms on the bridge and loss of propulsion prior to the incident, according to a Coast Guard memo obtained by ABC News. All personnel on the tanker are accounted for with no reported injuries, the memo said.
The steel frame of the Francis Scott Key Bridge sits on top of a container ship after it struck the bridge in Baltimore, Mar. 26, 2024.
WJLA
The Patapsco River channel is fully blocked, with approximately five inbound and seven outbound vessels in the queue for the next 24 hours, according to the memo.
The bridge was up to code, officials said.
Mar 26, 2024, 10:44 AM EDT
What to know about the cargo ship
The ship departed from the Port of Baltimore at 1 a.m. on Tuesday, embarking on a 27-day journey to Colombo, Sri Lanka. The ship "lost propulsion" as it was leaving the port and warned Maryland officials of a possible collision, according to officials.
A view of the Dali cargo vessel which crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge causing it to collapse in Baltimore, March 26, 2024.
Julia Nikhinson/Reuters
The waterway into and out of the port is closed and there is no other route into the port, which is the second busiest port in the Mid-Atlantic.
