Tragedy struck in Baltimore as the bodies of two construction workers were recovered from the waters of the harbor on Wednesday, following a devastating bridge collapse caused by a collision with a cargo ship. The workers, who had been in a red pick-up truck, lost their lives when the Francis Scott Key Bridge crumbled, trapping them under concrete and steel wreckage.
Maryland police revealed the grim discovery during a press briefing, indicating that sonar scans suggested additional vehicles may be entangled in the debris. With six of the eight-man crew presumed dead, authorities cautioned against sending divers into the unstable wreckage and instead announced plans for a salvage operation to retrieve the remaining bodies.
Colonel Roland Butler, superintendent of Maryland’s state police, emphasized the challenges of the recovery effort, noting that the vehicles appeared encased within the collapsed structure. Meanwhile, federal investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board provided insights into the tragic sequence of events, based on preliminary data from the ship’s voice recorder.
Lead investigator Marcel Muise detailed the ship’s departure from dock and subsequent power trouble, culminating in a distress call as it headed towards the bridge. Despite prompt action from Maryland Transportation Authority units to shut down traffic lanes, the collision occurred within minutes, resulting in the catastrophic collapse of the steel structure.
The victims were identified as Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes and Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, both immigrants hailing from Mexico and Guatemala, respectively. Their bodies were recovered from the harbor, while four other workers remain missing, presumed dead.
The cargo ship, still entangled in wreckage, remained stable with its crew onboard, as Coast Guard Vice Admiral Peter Gautier assured that there was no environmental threat. However, concerns loomed over the port’s closure and the impact on supply chains, with US Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg highlighting the challenges of rebuilding and reopening the vital harbor.
