At Least 6 People are Feared Dead after Baltimore Bridge Collapse

US-TRANSPORT-ACCIDENT-ECONOMY Part of the steel frame of the Francis Scott Key Bridge sits on top of the container ship Dali after the bridge collapsed in Baltimore, Maryland, on March 26, 2024. The bridge collapsed early March 26 after being struck by the Singapore-flagged Dali container ship, sending multiple vehicles and people plunging into the frigid harbor below. There was no immediate confirmation of the cause of the disaster, but Baltimore’s Police Commissioner Richard Worley said there was “no indication” of terrorism. (Photo by Kent Nishimura / AFP) (Photo by KENT NISHIMURA/AFP via Getty Images)

About six workers have been presumed dead, and the U.S. Coast Guard suspended the search-and-rescue operation after a Baltimore bridge collapsed. 

According to the Maryland State Police, the incident is now a recovery operation. 

“We do not believe that we are going to find any of these individuals still alive,” Rear Adm. Shannon Gilreath said.

The missing workers were deemed dead, according to Brawner Builders Executive Vice President Jeffrey Pritzker, on Tuesday afternoon, considering the depth of the water and the amount of time that had passed since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed.

“This was so completely unforeseen,” Pritzker said. “We don’t know what else to say. We take such great pride in safety, and we have cones, signs, lights, barriers, and flaggers. But we never foresaw that the bridge would collapse.”

A container ship rammed into a major bridge in Baltimore early Tuesday morning, causing it to snap and plunge into the river. Multiple vehicles fell into the water as rescuers began looking for survivors in a search and rescue mission. 

The cargo ship smashed into one of the bridge’s supports, causing the structure to snap like a twig. It fell into the water within a few seconds, a shocking display that was captured on video and posted all over social media. The ship then caught fire, and thick, black smoke began to come out of the ship.

“Never would you think that you would see, physically, the Key Bridge tumble down like that. It looked like something out of an action movie,” said Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott (D-Md.), calling it “an unthinkable tragedy.”

One person rescued from the water was in stable condition and refused treatment. The other individual sustained serious injuries and was being treated in a trauma center, according to Baltimore Fire Chief James Wallace.