As a result of the Baltimore, Maryland, Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse, two bodies have been retrieved from the Patapsco River.
According to authorities, two individuals were retrieved on Wednesday morning. Alejandro Hernandez Fuentez (35) from Baltimore and Darlene Rania El Castillo Cabrera (26) from Dundalk. The two victims were found inside the red pickup vehicle, according to Ronald L. Butler of the Maryland State Police, who informed the media during a press conference on Wednesday night.
All six of the construction workers who were fixing potholes on the bridge were assumed killed in the collision between the cargo vessel and the bridge. Four bodies have not been found yet. On Tuesday, two of the surviving workers were rescued from the water.
According to buoy measurements taken by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) soon before daybreak on Tuesday, the water temperature was around 47 degrees Fahrenheit. The sudden drop in temperature and forced inhalation of cold water could cause drowning.
Following Tuesday’s cancellation of the Coast Guard’s active search and rescue effort, the hunt for the missing persons began the next day. According to Maryland police, the concrete and other debris that fell into the river from the demolished bridge has made it unsafe for divers to maneuver.
According to a port insider, the Dali cargo ship that collided with the bridge had a serious electrical issue when parked in Baltimore a few days before the tragedy.
Wes Moore, governor of Maryland, said that the crew of the ship had alerted authorities that it was without power just before the crash.
According to a port official, the unexpected occurrence is very unusual, and considerable electrical difficulties on board big ships are not typical at all. It was foolish of them to allow the vessel to depart from port before the situation was under control.
In 2022, more than 750,000 automobiles were handled by the Port of Baltimore, making it the port in the US with the highest volume of automotive freight.
The Maryland government reports that the port generates $2.6 billion in commercial revenue, $3.3 billion in salaries, and approximately four hundred million dollars in taxes annually.
According to experts, the closure of the port would negatively impact the local economy by almost $15 million every day.
