The bodies of two of the construction workers who died after a 984-foot-long cargo ship hit a pillar of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge have been recovered, officials said Wednesday. Search efforts have been paused for the four other workers who are presumed dead.
The investigation into the collision could take up to two years, according to National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy.
The crew first signaled trouble with the vessel when a pilot radioed for help from tugboats at about 1:26 a.m. ET Tuesday – just about three minutes before the ship hit a bridge column, the NTSB said, citing data from a voyage recorder.
Our live coverage of the Baltimore bridge collapse has moved here.
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Here's what you should know about the Key Bridge collapse
From CNN staff
A Marine Emergency Team boat passes the wreckage of the Dali cargo vessel in Baltimore on Tuesday.
Mike Segar/Reuters
Officials recovered the bodies of two construction workers who were on Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge when it collapsed early Tuesday morning after a 984-foot-long cargo ship collided into a pillar.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore called the collapse Wednesday “a global crisis.”
“The national economy and the world’s economy depends on the Port of Baltimore. The port handles more cars and more farm equipment than any other port in the country,” Moore said.
Here’s what you should know:
The victims: The six people who are presumed dead were from Mexico Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, according to Col. Roland L. Butler Jr, the superintendent of Maryland State Police. Two bodies were recovered and have been identified as Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes from Mexico and Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera from Guatemala. The two workers were filling potholes on the bridge and were later found trapped in a red pickup truck in about 25 feet of water, Butler said. The FBI is handling notifying the victims’ families, Butler said.
Recovery efforts: Authorities are pausing search efforts for the four other workers who are presumed dead, because additional vehicles are encased in concrete and other debris, making it unsafe for divers, Butler said. Once salvage operations clear the debris, divers will search for more remains, he said.
The investigation: The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation into the fatal incident, according to the agency’s chair Jennifer Homendy. During a Wednesday news conference, Homendy said there were 21 crew members and two pilots on board the Dali cargo ship when it crashed into the bridge. She also said a senior NTSB hazmat investigator identified 56 containers of hazardous material, and that some containers are in the water. The agency received six hours of voyage data from the ship and the investigation could take 12 to 24 months to complete, Homendy said. She emphasized that NTSB will not analyze information collected or provide conclusions while on scene of the collapse.
Looking forward: Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said rebuilding the bridge will not be “quick or easy” but that it will get done. He said there are four main focus points ahead: reopening the port, dealing with supply chain issues until its reopening, rebuilding the bridge and dealing with traffic issues until the bridge is rebuilt. Biden pledged the full support of the federal government in the response and recovery efforts. His administration has already conveyed a sense of urgency to open up federal funding to remove debris and ultimately rebuild the bridge. Maryland has submitted a request to the Biden administration for emergency relief funds “to assist in our work going forward,” Moore said Wednesday.
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It's almost impossible to place people on the bow of ship due to the unstable structure, fire official says
From CNN's Sarah Engel
Baltimore City Fire Chief James Wallace said Wednesday that the cargo ship’s bridge structure and containers at the bow remain unstable.
“Naturally, we’re still very cognizant of the fact that there are hazardous materials on board the vessel itself,” Wallace said, alluding to the National Transportation Safety Board saying earlier that 56 containers were carrying hazardous materials.
Wallace said his team is relying heavily on aerial recognizance, including drones. “That’s the only way we’re able to see in,” he said.
He added that the aerial surveillance has “been able to really assure us right now we have no [chemical] reactions on board.”
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"It's just utter devastation," NTSB chief says of the bridge collapse site
From CNN's Aditi Sangal
Jennifer Homendy, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, called the site of the Key Bridge collapse “devastating.”
She added that she is thinking of families who lost loved ones and those who are waiting to reunite with their lived ones.
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NTSB interviewed the Dali's captain and some other crew members today, agency chief says
From CNN's Aditi Sangal
The National Transportation Safety Board has interviewed the ship’s captain, his mate, the chief engineer and one other engineer today, according to Chair Jennifer Homendy.
The two pilots on board the Dali at the time of collision will be interviewed tomorrow, she added.
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Cargo ship's voyage data recorder is basic when compared to an airplane's, NTSB chair says
From CNN's Tori B. Powell
The voyage data recorder on the cargo ship Dali was a “newer model” but is considered basic when compared to that on an airplane, according to National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy.
“But it is very basic compared to say, a flight data recorder, where we would have 1,000 parameters,” she said at a news conference on Wednesday.
The NTSB chief investigator Marcel Muise added:
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There were no tug boats with Dali at the time of the collision. That's normal, NTSB chief says
From CNN's Aditi Sangal
People look at the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge while visiting Fort McHenry in Baltimore on Wednesday.
Julia Nikhinson/Reuters
There were no tugs with Dali when the cargo vessel collided with Baltimore’s Key Bridge, which is normal protocol, according to National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy.
Remember: At 01:26:39 on Tuesday, Dali’s pilot made a general very high frequency (VHF) radio call for tugs in the vicinity to assist, the NTSB investigator Marcel Muise had said.
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NTSB chair says she saw some containers that were carrying hazardous materials in the water
From CNN's Tori B. Powell
National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy said she did see some of the 56 containers that were carrying hazardous materials in the water.
When asked how many
When asked how many containers of hazardous materials were in the water, Homendy said:
Homendy said that a preliminary report should be out in two to four weeks.
This post has been updated with more quotes from Homendy.
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Bridge did not have any redundancy, unlike the preferred method for building bridges today, NTSB chair says
From CNN's Aditi Sangal
Baltimore’s Key Bridge did not have any redundancy, which is included in the preferred method of building bridges in the present day, according to National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy.
There are 17,468 fracture critical bridges in the United States out of 615,000 bridges total, she said, citing the Federal Highway Administration.
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The NTSB investigator in charge of the bridge collapse investigation provides a timeline of crash
From CNN's Aditi Sangal
Cargo ship Dali is seen after running into and collapsing the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26, in Baltimore, Maryland.
Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images
Marcel Muise, the National Transportation Safety Board investigator in charge, provided the following timeline of events as provided by the recovered voyage data recorder (VDR).
Approximately 12:39 a.m. ET: The ship departed from Seagirt Marine Terminal.
By 1:07: The ship had entered the Fort McHenry Channel.
01:24:59: Numerous audible alarms were recorded on the ship’s bridge audio. About the same time, VDR sensor data ceased recording. The VDR audio continued to record using the redundant power source, Muise said.
01:26:02: VDR resumed recording sensor data and during this time, steering commands and rudder orders were recorded on the audio.
01:26:39: The ship’s pilot made a general very high frequency (VHF) radio call for tugs in the vicinity to assist. About to this time, Muise said, the pilot association dispatcher phoned the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) duty officer regarding the blackout.
Around 01:27:04: The pilot ordered the Dali to drop the port anchor and ordered additional steering commands.
Around 01:27:25: The pilot issued a radio call over the VHF radio, reporting that the Dali had lost all power and was approaching the bridge. Around this time, the MDTA data shows the following also occurred: Their duty officer radioed two of their units that were already on scene due to construction on the bridge — one on each side of the bridge — and ordered them to close traffic on the bridge. All lanes were then shut down by MDTA.
Around 01:29: The ship’s speed over ground was recorded at just under 8 miles per hour. From this moment on approximately 1:29:33, the VDR audio recorded sounds consistent with the collision of the bridge. Additionally, around this time, MDTA dash cameras show the bridge lights extinguishing.
01:29:39: The pilot reported the bridge down over the VFH radio to the Coast Guard.
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Investigation could hopefully take 12 to 24 months, NTSB chair says
From CNN's Tori B. Powell
The investigation into the cargo ship crash into Key Bridge could take up to two years, according to National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy.
She called the investigation “a massive undertaking” and said there are “many different components to the investigation.”
“It’s multimodal,” Homendy said, noting that “this is not new for the NTSB.”
“We’ve conducted other investigations of bridge strikes, bridge collapses,” she said.
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NTSB received 6 hours of voyage data from ship that crashed into bridge, investigator says
From CNN's Tori B. Powell
Approximately six hours of voyage data from the Dali cargo ship that hit the Key Bridge in Baltimore has been provided to the National Transportation Safety Board, according to Marcel Muise, NTSB investigator in charge.
The footage was recovered by the US Coast Guard on the morning of the accident and contains footage from midnight to 6 a.m. ET, Muise said at a Wednesday news conference.
“The NTSB is continuing to obtain more data,” Muise said.
A senior hazmat investigator from the National Transportation Safety Board looked at the cargo and cargo manifest today, identifying 56 containers of hazardous material, agency Chair Jennifer Homendy said Wednesday.
Some of the hazmat containers “were breached,” she said, adding that sheen was seen on the waterway.
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There were 23 individuals on the cargo ship at the time of the accident, NTSB chair says
From CNN's Tori B. Powell
In an aerial view, cargo ship Dali is seen after running into and collapsing the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26, in Baltimore, Maryland.
Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images
There were 21 crew members and two pilots onboard the Dali cargo ship when it crashed into Baltimore’s Key Bridge, according to the National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy.
The NTSB is leading the investigation, Homendy has said. The board will try to determine what occurred onboard Dali and also look at the structure of the bridge itself.
Read more about what investigators are working on here.
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NTSB won't provide conclusions and analysis while on scene, agency chief says
From CNN's Aditi Sangal
The National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy speaks during a press conference on Wednesday, March 27.
Pool
The National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy emphasized the agency will not analyze information collected or provide conclusions while on the scene of the Key Bridge collapse.
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NOW: NTSB is sharing updates on the Key Bridge collapse
The National Transportation Safety Board is holding a news conference to share updates about the Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore.
NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy is expected to speak.
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Officials pause recovery efforts for 4 workers presumed dead after bridge collapse
From CNN's Aditi Sangal and Elise Hammond
Authorities are pausing search and recovery efforts for the four additional people who are presumed dead after the bridge collapse, Col. Roland L. Butler Jr., the superintendent of Maryland State Police said Wednesday evening.
“At this point, based upon the conditions, we are now moving from a recovery mode to a salvage operation,” he said.
The superintendent added that based on sonar scans, officials believe that the vehicles are “encased in the superstructure and concrete” of the bridge.
Butler Jr. added that there is “no definitive timeline” for how long the salvage phase will take, once it is complete, the divers will go back to the site.
“The sonar simply said they cannot get to that area because it was fully encased in the superstructure,” he said. “Once that salvage effort takes place and that superstructure is removed, those same divers are going to go back out there and bring those people closure,” he added.
The headline and post have been updated with additional comments from Butler Jr.
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Brother of a missing person from bridge collapse describes him as "a man who dreamed big"
From CNN's Michael Rios
The brother of a person presumed dead after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed earlier this week described him as a “man who dreamed big.”
He told CNNE in Honduras on Wednesday that his brother was an industrial mechanical technician and went to the United States to fulfill his dreams. However, after the pandemic, Maynor Suazo Sandoval had to look for an additional job to have more income and found work at a bridge supervision and maintenance company.
Martin Suazo Sandoval said his brother believed in helping people, and sponsored minor sports leagues because he believed that by “helping the children here in the town, they would have a better childhood”.
Martin Suazo Sandoval said what they want most is for their brother’s body to be found “so we can begin to take steps to repatriate him.”
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First responders worked quickly to get people off bridge after first mayday call, governor says
From CNN's Elise Hammond
After the Dali ship sent out its first mayday signal, first responders leapt into action to both move people off the bridge and prevent other cars from entering it, Maryland’s governor said.
They were also notifying workers who were part of a construction crew on the bridge to leave, Gov. Wes Moore said Wednesday, as officials learn more about what happened in the moments before the collision and collapse.
The governor said the ongoing investigation will reveal more of what happened and how those responders communicated with the workers. He said this particular worker who survived said he heard the warning “audibly,” that the officer was telling him to move off.
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Officials recover bodies of 2 missing bridge workers
From CNN's Elise Hammond
Col. Roland L. Butler Jr., the head of the Maryland State Police, speaks during a press conference on Wednesday, March 27.
Governor Wes Moore/Youtube
Officials have recovered the bodies of two of the missing workers who were on the Francis Scott Key bridge when it collapsed, the head of the Maryland State Police said Wednesday.
Col. Roland L. Butler Jr. said that shortly before 10 a.m. ET divers found a red pickup truck in about 25 feet of water.
He said Maryland State Police notified the families of those found about an hour ago. Their names were given as:
Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes from Mexico
Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera from Guatemala
The workers, who were filling potholes on the bridge at the time of the incident, were from Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, officials said.
Butler Jr. confirmed that both men whose bodies were found today were working for the construction company. One was identified by a driver’s license in his pocket, the other was identified by fingerprint, he said.
The post has been updated with more details from the news conference, including the correct spelling of the victims’ names after an update from authorities.
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An inspector overseeing work was among those who fell into the water, officials say
From CNN's Tori B. Powell
An inspector who was contracted by the state of Maryland with an engineering firm overseeing work was among victims that fell into the water following the Key Bridge collapse, according to Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul J. Wiedefeld.
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Maryland governor says investigation continues into what took place on the ship prior to the collision
From CNN's Aditi Sangal
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said investigations continue on what happened on the ship and there are no declarative answers on possible power challenges or issues on the Dali.
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"Don't play bridge engineer online": Baltimore mayor asks people not to spread misinformation
From CNN's Elise Hammond
Baltimore’s mayor asked for people to have “a little bit of decency and respect” when it comes to online discourse about the fatal bridge collapse.
The head of Maryland State Police announced earlier that dive teams recovered the bodies of two people in the river on Wednesday. At least four other people are unaccounted for and presumed dead, the Coast Guard said.
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Government will pursue funds from anybody "liable for negligence or wrongdoing," Maryland senator says
From CNN's Aditi Sangal
If anyone is found liable in the events that led to the collapse of Baltimore’s Key Bridge, they will be pursued to add funds to the cost-share in rebuilding, US Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland said Wednesday evening.
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Maryland officials are working on plans for a replacement bridge
From CNN's Elise Hammond
A drone view of the Dali cargo vessel, which crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge causing it to collapse, in Baltimore, Maryland, on March 26.
Maryland National Guard/Handout/Reuters
Maryland officials are working on plans to reconstruct the Francis Scott Key Bridge after it collapsed earlier this week, Sen. Ben Cardin said.
Cardin thanked the Biden administration and federal partners for their help so far. He called on Congress to “provide the necessary authorizations, support and resources to make this recovery complete and that we can move as quickly as possible.”
He said, still, the top priority is to reopen the shipping lanes and minimize harm to the economy.
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Deceased people were from Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, officials say
From CNN's Tori B. Powell
Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras are the countries of origin for the six people who are presumed dead following the bridge collapse, Col. Roland L. Butler Jr., the superintendent of Maryland State Police, said Wednesday at a news conference.
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Maryland submits request to Biden administration for emergency relief funds, governor says
From CNN's Tori B. Powell
Maryland has submitted a request to President Joe Biden’s administration for emergency relief funds “to assist in our work going forward,” Gov. Wes Moore said Wednesday.
Moore said he spoke to Biden Wednesday by phone.
Remember: Biden pledged the full support of the federal government in the response and recovery efforts after Tuesday’s collapse. His administration has already conveyed a sense of urgency to open up federal funding to remove debris and ultimately rebuild the bridge.
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The collapse of the Key Bridge is a global crisis, Maryland governor says
From CNN's Aditi Sangal
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore speaks during a press conference on the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge on Wednesday, March 27.
Governor Wes Moore/Youtube
The collapse of Baltimore’s Key Bridge is a global crisis, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said, re-iterating the importance of the bridge in global trade and economy.
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Officials now focused on providing closure to bridge workers' families
From CNN's Elise Hammond
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said the search and recovery operation following the collapse of a key Baltimore bridge is now focused on bringing closure to the families of those presumed dead.
Six people who were on the bridge have been missing and are presumed dead, a Coast Guard official said previously. There has been a search and recovery operation going on since Tuesday evening.
The governor said divers were in the water at 6 a.m. ET Wednesday for search and recovery efforts.
“This is not a conclusion, it’s a continuation and we take this phase just as seriously and just as personally as we took the last phase,” he said.
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NOW: Maryland governor and other officials discuss collapse of Francis Scott Key bridge
Officials including Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Sen. Ben Cardin and Sen. Chris Van Hollen are providing updates on efforts underway following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on Tuesday.
What happened: The bridge toppled shortly before 1:30 a.m. Tuesday when the Dali, a 213-million-pound cargo vessel, lost power while trying to leave the port and smashed into one of the bridge’s support columns, sending people and cars into the frigid Patapsco River.
Eight construction workers were believed to be mending potholes on the bridge when it fell, according to officials. Two survived and were pulled from the water but the remaining six are presumed dead due to the prolonged search time and cold conditions.
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Brother of one of the victims says families have not been told what to expect at news conference
From Maria Santana and Ali Gordon
The brother of Maynor Suazo Sandoval — one of the six victims presumed dead in the Key Bridge collapse – said the victims’ families were informed of the news conference with the Maryland governor and other top officials that was scheduled for 5:30 p.m. ET.
However, they have not been told what to expect, Carlos Suazo Sandoval said. He added that they plan to attend and ask questions.
The news conference had yet to begin as of 5:35 p.m. ET and an official said the delay was due to traffic issues for some of the attendees.
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Cargo ships were a fraction of the size and weight when the Francis Scott Key Bridge was built, records show
From CNN's Curt Devine, Casey Tolan and Isabelle Chapman
When a container ship slammed into Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge on Tuesday, it led to the disastrous collapse that left six people presumed dead and took out one of the region’s key infrastructure links.
But it wasn’t the first time that kind of impact had happened: Four decades earlier, another container ship that also lost power hit the same bridge — and it stood strong.
The drastic difference in outcomes between the two accidents is an example of the dangers caused by the massive increase in shipping vessel size in the intervening decades. It’s also raising questions about whether changes in the bridge’s design could have prevented the deadly collapse.
A CNN review of public records and interviews with about a dozen bridge and shipping experts show that hundreds of bridges over US waterways were built decades ago when container ships were a fraction of the size and weight they are today. Bridges of the era when the Key Bridge was built weren’t designed to protect against collisions with ships as big as the Dali, the vessel that caused the Baltimore catastrophe.
Some experts said that this week’s disaster should inspire engineers to reevaluate whether America’s aging infrastructure can withstand impacts from the gigantic ships that transit our waterways today.
11 ships are stuck inside the Port of Baltimore besides the Dali, officials say
From CNN's Matt Egan
Federal authorities now said there are 11 ships, in addition to the Dali cargo vessel, stuck inside the Port of Baltimore following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
The Transportation Department told CNN on Wednesday that it corrected the data to reflect an additional vessel stranded behind the fallen bridge.
Officials now say that the following vessels are stranded at the port:
Four Maritime Administration (MARAD) Ready Reserve vessels
Three bulk carriers
One vehicle carrier
Two general cargo ships
An oil/chemical tanker
This post has been updated with the latest information on the vessels in the post.
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Buttigieg outlines priorities in reopening Baltimore port and offloading cargo from other ships
From CNN’s Jamiel Lynch
Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told CNN’s Phil Mattingly his agency is focused on four things following the Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore:
Working with the city to get the bridge back up
Dealing with traffic impacts
Reopening the port
Making sure the supply chain impacts are dealt with.
Buttigieg called the reopening of the port the most “acute short-term concern” especially for the workers impacted with about $2 million a day being lost in wages, he said.
Other ships stuck at the port have to be unloaded and have cargo offloaded and transported by land to get to other ports during this closure, which Buttigieg described it as a “complicated operation.”
Parties that are found accountable for the incident will be held liable, Buttigieg promised, but said that process will now slow the process of reopening the port.
“It will not be quick and it will not be easy, but we’re committed to do it as long as it takes,” he said.
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Baltimore Orioles will hold moment of silence for bridge workers at season opener
From CNN's Wayne Sterling
The Baltimore Orioles will honor the people who are presumed dead in the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse at the season opener on Thursday.
The team said the moment of silence will also pay tribute to the city’s “brave first responders who immediately stepped into action.”
The Orioles are scheduled to face the Los Angeles Angels at Camden Yards in Baltimore at 3:05 p.m. ET on Thursday.
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Maryland governor and other officials to hold news conference at 5:30 p.m. ET
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Sen. Ben Cardin, Sen. Chris Van Hollen as well as officials from the Maryland State Police, US Coast Guard and the Maryland Department of Transportation will hold a news conference at 5:30 p.m. ET.
They will discuss updates on efforts underway following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on Tuesday.
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Here's how the Army Corps of Engineers plan to clear the shipping channel
From CNN's Aditi Sangal
More than 1,000 US Army Corps of Engineers personnel were activated to help clear the critical shipping channel where Baltimore’s Key Bridge collapsed.
Lt. Gen. Scott Spellmon, commander and chief of engineers, explained the team will approach the mission in three steps. Here’s what they are:
Step 1: Get the steel truss out of a 700-foot-wide by 50-foot-deep channel, and examine what parts of the concrete are still at the bottom. “Any piece of concrete, any piece of steel on the bottom is just as much as of a hazard as that in the channel,” Spellmon said. This step will allow “one-way traffic going in and out of the Port of Baltimore again,” he said.
Step 2: Work closely with the Coast Guard to stabilize containers on top of the ship. Then the truss of the bridge that is still on top of the ship needs to be taken off “so it can be tugged to a safe part of the port,” Spellmon said. “By removing the vessel, that will allow us to reopen two-way traffic.”
Step 3: Take out the remaining 2,900 feet of steel and all the associated concrete and roadway that’s at the river bottom.
“We’re up to this task. We have what we need,” Spellmon said.
This post has been updated with additional information about the bridge collapse.
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EPA not aware of any fuel leakage after bridge collapse, spokesperson says
From CNN’s Ella Nilsen
The Dali cargo ship is seen after crashing into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on March 26.
Carolyn Van Houten/The Washington Post/Getty Images
The Environmental Protection Agency is not aware of any fuel leakage at this point after a ship hit Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, a spokesperson said.
Earlier Wednesday at a White House briefing, Coast Guard Vice Admiral Peter Gautier said the vessel is stable but still has over 1.5 million gallons of fuel onboard.
The US Coast Guard would be the ones to determine if there is a fuel leak because they are the lead agency, EPA Region 3 spokesperson Shaun Eagantold CNN.
Some background: Members of the Coast Guard detected an oil sheen on the water near the wreckage of the Key Bridge on Tuesday. However, they have not yet determined the source of the fuel discharge, according to USCG Petty Officer Kimberly Reaves.
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Maryland governor and other officials visit the scene of the bridge collapse
From CNN’s Gabe Cohen
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and several other officials were taken to the scene of the collision on Wednesday, his spokesperson told CNN.
Other officials included Sen. Ben Cardin, Mayor Brandon Scott, Congressman David Trone, County Executive Johnny Olszewski and County Executive Steuart Pittman.
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NTSB is leading the bridge collapse investigation. This is what investigators are working on
From CNN staff
Investigators are focusing on how a massive cargo ship collided into a key Baltimore bridge — and whether any preventative measures could have helped mitigate the bridge collapse.
The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation, NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy said. The board will try to determine what occurred onboard Dali and also look at the structure of the bridge itself.
Here’s what the NTSB is working on:
Investigators boarded the ship overnight and retained the vessel’s recorder or black box, she said. They will use this to put together a timeline of what led to the ship hitting the bridge.
In this, the NTSB will look to verify reports that the ship had power issues and lost propulsion just before hitting the pillar, Homendy said.
A team of 24 investigators planned to return to the vessel on Wednesday to focus on collecting the perishable evidence, including pictures of the vessel, she said.
Investigators will also begin interviews with Dali’s crew. A specialized team will determine who was controlling the vessel and who was on the ship’s bridge at the time of the crash.
The NTSB will additionally look at the structure of the Francis Scott Key Bridge and the debris that fell into the water or onto the ship, Homendy said. It will determine whether there were other measures that “should have been in place to prevent this type of destruction from occurring,” she said, including things like “dolphins” and “fenders,” structures aimed at protecting the bridge.
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7 Brawner Builders employees were on the bridge when it collapsed, executive tells CNN
From CNN’s Danny Freeman and Linh Tran
Seven Brawner Builder employees were on the Francis Scott Key Bridge on the night of the collapse, Brawner Builders Executive Vice President Jeffrey Pritzker told CNN.
One survived, and the other six are presumed dead.
Pritzker told CNN he doesn’t know how the worker managed to survive, saying the survivor isn’t ready to talk about his experience yet but he is “very, very upset,” has injuries and is suffering from stress.
“It’s amazing that he did survive,” Pritzker said, adding that the worker was able to swim away.
Most of the seven men have worked for Brawner Builders for years, according to Pritzker and were doing concrete remediation work, including filling potholes on the Key Bridge on the night of the collapse.
Pritzker also said the owner of Brawner Builders spent the night of the collapse praying their people would be found alive.
When it became apparent the other six employees were presumed dead, the owner and seniors in the company gathered the families together and spent the morning with them.
Pritzker said the company is in the process of putting together compensation packages for the families.
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Man from Guatemala identified as one of the missing construction workers after Key Bridge collapse
From CNN’s Danny Freeman and Caroll Alvarado
One of the construction workers missing from the bridge collapse in Baltimore is Dorlian Castillo Cabrera from Guatemala, family members told CNN on Wednesday.
Guatemala’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs identified Tuesday two of its nationals among those unaccounted for: a 26-year-old from San Luis, Petén, and a 35-year-old from Camotán, Chiquimula. The 26-year-old is Dorlian, his cousin confirmed to CNN.
Here’s what his family told CNN about Castillo Cabrera:
What his sister-in-law said: He had been working at Brawner Builders for at least three years and loved his job. He was not married and did not have children, Pima Castillo said.
What his cousin said: Castillo Cabrera came to the US to follow his dream and help his mother, Marlon Castillo said. “Unfortunately, he was in a place where no one imagined what was going to happen.”
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Biden spoke with Maryland governor and other top officials to discuss bridge collapse
From CNN's Sam Fossum
President Joe Biden met with top officials in the Oval Office Wednesday on the ongoing federal, state and local response to the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, according to the White House.
He met with Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg as well as US Coast Guard Vice Admiral Peter Gautier, and he spoke to Gen. Scott Spellmon.
Biden also spoke with Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and reiterated his administration’s support for the people of Baltimore.
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What we learned about the Baltimore bridge collapse today as the investigation continues
From CNN staff
Investigators are working to learn more about what happened after a massive cargo ship collided with Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge on Tuesday, causing it to collapse. A team from the National Transportation Safety Board, which is leading the investigation, went aboard the ship to gather evidence.
Meanwhile, cold water temperatures and choppy waters are affecting divers’ attempts to find the six bodies of those missing, who are presumed dead.
Here’s where things stand:
Workers missing: Three Mexican nationals were among the people on the bridge when it collapsed — two of them are presumed dead and one person was rescued. A father of three from El Salvador has also been identified as one of the missing, as has a father of two from Honduras — both of whom had lived in the US for almost two decades. And two Guatemalans are among those unaccounted for. The US State Department said it will reach out to any countries whose citizens were impacted.
What to do about the debris: The Coast Guard is working with the Army Corps of Engineers to remove the parts of the bridge that are sitting on the bow of the ship so that it can be moved out of the way, according to Vice Adm. Peter Gautier. Dozens of containers with hazardous materials are among the more than 4,700 cargo containers that remain on the ship, he said, but they are not a threat to the public.
Dangerous conditions: Search and recovery operations have resumed after they were halted overnight due to dangerous conditions, including “very unstable” sections of the steel bridge and shipping containers hanging from the cargo ship, Baltimore City Fire Chief James Wallace told CNN. Divers also have little visibility at the bottom of the river, officials said previously.
Environmental impacts: There are no drinking water intakes near the site of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collision that could compromise drinking water quality, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said. The agency has at least two regional officials in the field with the Coast Guard to help with assessments, according to an EPA spokesperson.
Paying for repairs: There is not yet a cost estimate for damages due to the collapse or a timeline of how long the bridge will take to rebuild, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said. He vowed to hold any private company found liable for the incident accountable and added that the bridge was not designed to withstand the impact from the 200-million-pound container ship.
Coming up later today: The NTSB will give an update Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET. Baltimore remains in a state of emergency, Mayor Brandon Scott told CNN. He says he expects it to remain in place for the “foreseeable future.”
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NTSB will hold a news conference at 8 p.m. ET on Key Bridge collapse
From CNN's Chris Boyette
The National Transportation Safety Board will hold a news conference Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
Remember: NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy told CNN this morning that investigators were able to board the Dali ship overnight and that interviews with crew members would begin today.
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2 missing Mexicans in bridge collapse are originally from Veracruz and Michoacán states
From CNN's Ivonne Valdes
The two Mexicans missing after the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, are originally from the states of Veracruz and Michoacán, according to a statement by the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs Wednesday.
Buttigieg says rebuilding Francis Scott Key Bridge will not be "quick or easy" but it will get done
From CNN's Sam Fossum
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg speaks during a press briefing at the White House in Washington, DC, on Wednesday.
Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg reiterated Wednesday that they still do not know the full condition of the portions of the Francis Scott Key Bridge that did not collapse and emphasized that the rebuild process will be complex and potentially expensive.
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Buttigieg urges Congress not to let partisan politics impede recovery: "Tomorrow it could be your district"
From CNN's Michael Williams
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Wednesday said he hopes Congress won’t let partisan politics get in the way of the recovery and rebuilding of the Francis Scott Key bridge.
But Buttigieg left some room for optimism that lawmakers will work together and overcome their political differences.
“I would also remind any members who might find themselves on the fence … that today this is happening in Baltimore, tomorrow it could be your district. And we really need to stand together – red, blue and purple – to get these things done.”
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Teams are working on a plan to remove bridge debris from the bow of the ship, Coast Guard says
From CNN's Elise Hammond
Portions of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge are seen on the Dali cargo ship in Baltimore on Wednesday.
Mike Segar/Reuters
Teams of officials are working on a plan to re-float the ship that collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge and move it out of the way as the investigation into what happened continues on Wednesday.
The Coast Guard will work with the Army Corps of Engineers to remove the parts of the bridge that are sitting on the bow of the ship, according to Vice Adm. Peter Gautier, the deputy commandant for operations for the US Coast Guard.
Then, they will work to re-float the ship. The front of the vessel is sitting at the bottom of the Patapsco River because of the weight of the bridge debris, Gautier said. The first step in all of this is to use remote-operated vehicles and divers to survey what is happening under the surface, Gautier said.
One rescue diving expert said that is a dangerous task: Butch Hendrick, a rescue diver and the founder of Lifeguard Systems, a company that trains public safety personnel on rescue diving, said the wreckage under the surface of the Patapsco River is likely “interactive.”
“Right now every piece is twisted, mangled and turned in another format and something as simple as moving one piece can move multiples,” he told CNN on Wednesday.
To make things more complicated, because of the depth of the river, divers have little visibility at the bottom, officials said previously. Hendrick said divers would need to feel around the debris while being careful not to knock anything loose, describing it as “everything is in braille.”
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Buttigieg vows parties found liable for bridge collapse "will be held accountable"
From CNN's Michael Williams
Any private company that is found liable for the collapse of the Francis Scott Key bridge “will be held accountable,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said — but he emphasized the government will not wait for that determination to start the rebuilding process.
“I think our emphasis and the president’s goal is to make sure that that process is not something we have to wait for in order to support Maryland with the funds that they need,” he said at a White House briefing.
Buttigieg declined to specify what that accountability might look like.
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No immediate dollar estimate on bridge damage or timeline for reopening, Buttigieg says
From CNN's Michael Williams
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said officials are still working to come up with a cost estimate for damages due to the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore early Tuesday. President Joe Biden vowed the federal government would foot the bill in the hours after the bridge’s collapse.
Buttigieg said at the White House on Wednesday it is “likely” that the administration would turn to Congress to seek funding, “but that shouldn’t be a barrier” for immediate funding relief.
It’s also too soon to say how long it will take to rebuild the bridge, Buttigieg said, also noting that it took 5 years to build. “It is going to be some time,” he said.
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Dozens of containers with hazardous material remain on ship but do not pose threat to public, Coast Guard says
From CNN's Michael Williams
Coast Guard Vice Admiral Peter Gautier speaks during the daily briefing at White House in Washington, DC, on Wednesday.
Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images
Dozens of containers with hazardous materials are among the more than 4,700 cargo containers that remain on the ship that struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge, Coast Guard Vice Admiral Peter Gautier said at the White House on Wednesday.
Of the 4,700 containers on the ship, 56 contained hazardous materials, he said. But Gautier said the containers pose no threat to the public. They were in an area of the ship largely unaffected by damage, he said.
Two containers are missing overboard. Those containers do not contain hazardous material, he said.
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US State Department says it will reach out to countries whose citizens were impacted by bridge collapse
From CNN’s Michael Conte and Jennifer Hansler
The US State Department will reach out to any country whose citizens were impacted by the Baltimore bridge collapse, according to a spokesperson.
Miller also offered condolences for the families of those affected by the tragedy. The official said he was aware of reports that some of the victims were from Mexico, El Salvador and Honduras. Six construction workers who were on the bridge when it was struck remain unaccounted for. The crew of the ship that crashed into the bridge was from India.
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Drinking water quality not impacted near bridge collision, EPA says
From CNN's Ella Nilsen
Workers continue to investigate and search for victims at the scene of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse on Wednesday in Baltimore.
Scott Olson/Getty Images
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials have determined there are no drinking water intakes near the site of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collision that could compromise drinking water quality, according to a statement from EPA spokesperson Shaun Eagan.
At least two regional EPA officials are in the field with the US Coast Guard (USCG), offering support to USCG by “identifying possible discharges of oil” and helping to “determine the contents of the shipping containers,” according to Eagan.
More context: The USCG is currently the lead for any discharge cleanup efforts, but EPA staff are on-site to provide more personnel and equipment if USCG or the state of Maryland requests it to help address any sources of potential discharges of oil or hazardous material from the containers.
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Bridge was "not made to withstand" ship's impact, Buttigieg says
From CNN's Michael Williams
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg speaks during the daily briefing at the White House in Washington, DC, on Wednesday.
Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images
The Francis Scott Key Bridge was not designed to withstand the massive impact from a container ship that caused it to collapse early Tuesday morning, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttgieg said Wednesday.
“A bridge like this one, completed in the 1970s, was simply not made to withstand a direct impact on a critical support pier from a vessel that weighs about 200 million pounds —orders of magnitude bigger than cargo ships that were in service in that region at the time that the bridge was first built,” Buttigieg said at a White House briefing on Wednesday.
Buttigieg added the federal government is “committed to delivering every federal resource needed to help Maryland get back to normal” following the bridge’s collapse early Tuesday.
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Buttigieg says loss of life could have been "in the dozens" if not for several factors
From CNN's Michael Williams
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said the loss of life from the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge on Tuesday could have been “in the dozens” if not for several factors, including the time of day and the mayday call that happened just before a massive cargo ship struck the bridge.
Buttigieg credited the quick response from emergency personnel for mitigating loss of life during a press briefing at the White House on Wednesday.
Six construction workers who were on the bridge when it was struck remain unaccounted for.
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"Time is our worst enemy": Brother of missing Honduran worker says he still has hope
From CNN’s Maria Santana, Allison Gordon and Abel Alvarado
Family members of one of the workers missing since the collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge still holds on to hope that their loved one will be found alive.
“We still have faith until this moment, God grant the miracle, it would be beautiful,” Carlos Suazo Sandoval, brother of Maynor Suazo Sandoval, told CNN en Español on Wednesday.
Maynor Suazo Sandoval, 38, a Honduran national, was working on asphalt on the bridge when it collapsed, his brother said.
Carlos, who spoke to CNN outside a family staging area set up by state and federal authorities in Baltimore, said his family is still processing the incident and has yet to tell Maynor’s 72-year-old mother, who lives in San Pedro Sula, Honduras.
Maynor, who is one of eight siblings, is described as a kind and joyful person who had “vision,” his brother said.
Another brother told CNN earlier Wednesday that Maynor Suazo Sandoval has lived in the United States for 18 years and is a married father of an 18-year-old son and a 5-year-old daughter.
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3 Mexican nationals were on the bridge when it collapsed, one survived with injuries, Mexico's president says
From CNN's Polo Sandoval
Three Mexican nationals were among those on the Francis Scott Key Bridge when it collapsed Tuesday, Mexico’s president said Wednesday morning.
One of those individuals was rescued and is alive, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said, describing him as “injured” but “safe.”
Two are still missing, he added, saying that his administration is in touch with those families, who are being assisted by diplomatic officials.
López Obrador stressed that migrants often work jobs at midnight and do “risky work,” adding “they do not deserve to be treated, as they often are, by some irresponsible politicians and with little sensibility in the United States.”
López Obrador’s administration is aware of other missing people, including those he believed to be brothers from Central America, he said.
Acknowledging the difficulty of the situation, López Obrador said his office would remain in contact with family members.
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More than 24 hours after the Key Bridge collapse, recovery operations continue. Here's what we know
From CNN's Elizabeth Wolfe, Melissa Alonso and Yahya Abou-Ghazala
More than a day after the Dali cargo ship crashed into Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, authorities are still searching for the six people missing in the crash. Cold water temperatures and choppy waters are affecting divers’ attempts to find the bodies of those missing, who are presumed dead.
Here’s the latest:
The investigation: A team from with the National Transportation Safety Board went aboard the ship late Tuesday night to gather evidence for their investigation, agency Chair Jennifer Homendy told CNN on Wednesday. There, they obtained the ship’s data recorder, or black box.
No timeline for channel reopening: There is no specific timeline for when ships may be able to move in and out of the channel into the Port of Baltimore, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore says, but he reiterated that it is a priority to get it reopened.
“Long road to recovery”: US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg predicted the restoration effort for the city and port won’t be quick. He also warned of supply chain disruptions, saying, “The impact of this incident is going to be felt throughout the region and really throughout our supply chains.”
Coast Guard assessing hazmat threat: The US Coast Guard is examining damaged shipping containers, some containing potentially hazardous materials, from the crashed vessel, according to a US government document obtained by CNN and a US official familiar with the matter.
Overnight search deemed unsafe: Search and recovery operations were halted overnight due to dangerous conditions, including “very unstable” sections of the steel bridge and shipping containers hanging from the cargo ship, Baltimore City Fire Chief James Wallace told CNN.
Details emerge on those missing: Local authorities have yet to confirm the identities of those missing but have said they include construction workers who were on the bridge at the time of the collapse. Here’s what we know about the six people presumed dead.
Ship blacked out before crash: Just minutes before impact, there was a “total blackout” of engine and electrical power on the ship, according to Clay Diamond, executive director of the American Pilots Association.
City remains in state of emergency: As the search operations continue for the missing, Baltimore remains in a state of emergency, Mayor Brandon Scott told CNN. He says he expects it to remain in place for the “foreseeable future.”
Maryland governor calls for full accountability in bridge collapse
From CNN’s Sabrina Souza
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore called for “a full and thorough investigation” of the Francis Key Scott Bridge collapse.
Divers working on recovery efforts have been operating under “pitch-dark conditions, frigid temperatures, in high tides, high winds, with mangled metal all around them … looking and still searching for these individuals,” he said Wednesday.
Moore added investigators do not yet know what caused the ship to lose power.
Moore also said he spoke to families of those presumed lost and “prayed with them, prayed for them.” He said that he promised the families that he would “exhaust all options to be able to bring them a sense of closure and that includes these heroic divers.”
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Maryland governor says there's no timeline for when channel will reopen as he stresses economic impact of port
From CNN's Maureen Chowdhury
Maryland Governor Wes Moore, center, addresses a press conference at the scene of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore, Maryland, on March 26.
Shawn Thew/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore told CNN on Wednesday that there currently is no specific timeline for when ships may be able to move in and out of the channel into the Port of Baltimore after the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge — but that it is a priority.
The bridge collapse is currently blocking a key channel into the busy port and impacting thousands of workers. Moore said that approximately 15,000 workers are directly impacted and about 140,000 workers are indirectly impacted.
Moore also noted that Baltimore is a top 10 port overall for the country. He said there are people who will be impacted all over the country as the port remains closed, from the farmer a Kentucky to an auto dealer in Michigan.
Pressed again on when ships will be able to move in and out of the port, Moore responded, “We’re prioritizing and focusing on how we (are) coordinating efforts. I mean, it’s the reason that, that I’ve been on the ground marshaling the resources and marshaling the efforts and and why we’re going to stay here, to be able to make sure that we can get this thing open and get things going again.”
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State of Emergency remains in place for Baltimore, mayor says
From CNN’s Chris Boyette
A U.S. Coast Guard vessel sails near the Francis Scott Key Bridge, after the Dali cargo vessel crashed into it causing it to collapse, in Baltimore, Maryland, on March 27.
Mike Segar/Reuters
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said the city remains in a state of emergency as recovery efforts continue for the six presumed dead a day after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed.
“There’s still a state of emergency. We will have that for the foreseeable future,” Scott told CNN’s John Berman Wednesday. “This is an unthinkable tragedy that impacts our city and our community and our state in so many different and ways,” he said.
The mayor declared a state of emergency in the city Tuesday after a 984-foot cargo ship hit a pillar of the Key Bridge, causing it to collapse.
Authorities announced Tuesday afternoon that efforts had shifted from a search and rescue operation to a recovery operation. The mayor also acknowledged the work ahead to reopen the Port of Baltimore, a major hub for vehicles, containers and commodities which has suspended vessel traffic was suspended until further notice following the bridge collapse.
But, he said, his concentration remains on the recovery efforts. “We’re all, right now, still focused on recovery. That’s what we’re talking about today — recovering those who we lost,” he said.
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Divers are dealing with a "treacherous situation" as they continue recovery efforts, Maryland governor says
From CNN’S Sabrina Souza
Emergency vehicles are parked near the scene of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore, Maryland, on March 27.
Mike Segar/Reuters
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore says divers are dealing with a “treacherous situation” as they continue search and recovery efforts for six unaccounted people in the Francis Key Scott Bridge collapse, he told CBS News Wednesday morning.
Moore spoke to families of missing construction workers saying “these were fathers, and these were sons, and these were husbands, and these were people who their families relied on and so we let them know the state would be there for them,” he told CBS.
The governor pledged his commitment to the families in search and recovery efforts, saying he’s confident officials are only looking for six unaccounted for individuals.
Moore stressed the economic impact the collapse will have, saying the port indirectly employs over 100,000 people and imports 51 million tons of foreign cargo, more cars, trucks, agricultural equipment than any other port in this country, he said.
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Divers resume recovery effort for 6 victims, Baltimore mayor says
From CNN's Alisha Ebrahimji
Rescue efforts are still focused on finding six people who were on the Francis Scott Key Bridge during its collapse Tuesday, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott told CNN.
Just before talking with CNN, Scott received an update that divers were setting out to resume their search efforts in the water, he said.
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Transportation Sec. Buttigieg says investigations are ongoing into responsibility for bridge crash
From CNN's Antoinette Radford
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, center, speaks during a news conference near the scene where a container ship collided with a support on the Francis Scott Key Bridge, Baltimore, on March 26.
Matt Rourke/AP
US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says if private companies are responsible for the Francis Scott Key Bridge cargo ship crash, they will be held responsible.
“To be clear: if any private party is responsible and accountable for this, then they will be held accountable,” he told CNN. “But we can’t wait for that to play out to get to work right now,” he said.
Buttigieg predicted a “long road to recovery” for the Francis Scott Key Bridge and the Port of Baltimore, telling CNN Wednesday that getting the bridge back up and the port reopen will be a priority for the Biden administration.
When asked if he had any idea when the Patapsco River channel might reopen, Buttigieg said he did not have an estimated time, but was working with relevant authorities, including the US Coast Guard, to get it open as soon as possible. He noted that the conditions of the remaining pier will also impact that timeline.
Buttigieg also warned of disruptions to supply chains in the near-term: “The impact of this incident is going to be felt throughout the region and really throughout our supply chains. We’re talking about the biggest vehicle-handling port in the country that is now out of commission until that channel can be cleared — and a bridge that took five years to build.”
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Interviews with ship crew members will begin today, NTSB chair says
From CNN's Alisha Ebrahimji
National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy told CNN this morning that interviews with crew members will begin later today.
“With respect to those on the vessel, we will also interview fire and rescue and and people that were on the bridge as well,” she said.
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NTSB chair says investigators boarded Dali ship overnight and recovered its data recorder
From CNN's Antoinette Radford
National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy speaks during a news conference on the Francis Scott Key Bridge incident, on March 26.
Matt Rourke/AP
National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy told CNN that investigators were able to board the Dali ship overnight.
“Some investigators boarded late last night to look at the engine room, the bridge and gather any sort of electronics or documentation,” Homendy said on CNN News Central Wednesday morning.
“Right now, we do have the data record, which is essentially the ‘black box,’” Homendy added. “We’ve sent that back to our lab to evaluate and begin to develop a timeline of events that led up to the strike on the bridge.” She added that investigators should have information from the vessel’s black box later today.
Homendy said that a team of 24 investigators will be returning to the ship this morning, with a focus on collecting the perishable evidence, including pictures of the vessel.
CNN’s Andy Rose contributed reporting to this post.
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Port of Baltimore will remain in operation despite Key Bridge collapse, city council member says
Aerial view of the a container yard at the Port of Baltimore, Maryland, on March 26.
Maryland National Guard/Reuters
Councilman for Baltimore’s fourth district, Mark Conway, said the Port of Baltimore will continue to operate despite the Key Bridge collapse.
Speaking to CNN, Conway said ships will still be able to move through the port, but larger cargo items will have to wait until the bridge debris is cleared.
“And there’s still at this point, no telling how long that may take,” he said.
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Here's what Baltimore can learn from Minneapolis' I-35W bridge collapse 17 years ago
From CNN's Alicia Wallace
An aerial view of the collapsed I-35W bridge on August 4, 2007, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images
The response to a bridge failure in Minneapolis 17 years ago, one of the most catastrophic in recent memory, could serve as a roadmap for Baltimore after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse.
On August 1, 2007, when cars were bumper-to-bumper in evening rush hour traffic along Interstate 35W in Minneapolis, the eight-lane bridge failed and collapsed into the Mississippi River and railyard below. Thirteen people were killed, and nearly 150 more were injured.
In addition to the deaths and damage, the bridge collapse cut off a major transportation artery for the Twin Cities. About 140,000 cars a day traversed the I-35W bridge that once stood more than 100 feet above the Mighty Mississippi.
But it took only 13 months for a brand new bridge to be built.
These events happened in the first three months of this year – and all after collisions with large commercial ships. These incidents, and the toll – with at least five killed in China, and six presumed dead in Baltimore – have highlighted what experts say is the urgent need to improve or protect old bridges to accommodate larger modern vessels.
The Baltimore collapse on Tuesday focused national attention on the issue.
The incident in China took place in February when a cargo ship rammed into the Lixinsha Bridge in the Pearl River Delta, southern Guangzhou province – a major international shipping hub and the country’s industrial heartland.
These incidents may look similar but there could be varying factors at play, experts say.
The cargo ship Dali sits in the water after running into and collapsing the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26, in Baltimore, Maryland.
Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) team will likely board the MV Dali for the first time on Wednesday, Chair Jennifer Homendy told CNN.
Right now, investigators are identifying their first investigative targets, including who they will interview and which entities will be party to the investigation, Homendy said.
Investigators are also preparing to look at the structure of the bridge and any debris that fell to the Patapsco River and onto the ship itself, she added.
Of the 24 NTSB investigators on the scene, Homendy said a specialized team would determine who was controlling the vessel and who was on the ship’s bridge at the time of the crash.
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6 people are presumed dead after the Baltimore bridge collision. Here's what we know about them
Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed early on Tuesday after a container ship smashed into one of its columns, sending people and cars crashing into the frigid Patapsco River.
Eight construction workers were believed to be mending potholes on the bridge when it fell. Two of them were pulled from the river and survived but the remaining six are presumed dead.
Divers will return to the water on Wednesday to search for the missing people.
Here’s what we know about the victims:
Father-of-three Miguel Luna, who is from El Salvador but has called Maryland home for 19 years, was among those missing, according to CASA, a nonprofit that provides services to working-class and immigrant families.
A Honduran father of two, Maynor Yassir Suazo Sandoval, has also been missing since the bridge collapse, the man’s brother told CNN. He said his brother has lived in the US for 18 years and has an 18-year-old son and a 5-year-old daughter.
Two Guatemalans are among those unaccounted for, the country’s foreign ministry said. Those missing include a 26-year-old from San Luis, Peten, and a 35-year-old from Camotan, Chiquimula. The ministry did not name the men.
The victims also include Mexican nationals but it is unclear how many, a Mexican Embassy official told reporters near the scene of the bridge.
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Dali ship briefly held in Chile last year over propulsion issue, Chilean Navy says
From CNN's Daniel Medina
The Singapore-flagged cargo ship Dali, which crashed into Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, was briefly held in Chile last June over a propulsion issue, the Chilean Navy told CNN.
An inspector found that the pressure gauges for the vessel’s heating system were “unreadable,” and it was held at the Port of San Antonio on June 27, 2023, a navy spokesperson said Tuesday night.
It was held at Chile’s largest port, which categorized the deficiency of the vessel as related to “propulsion and auxiliary machinery.”
It was not the first time the Dali had been held in a foreign port.
The container ship had been inspected 27 times since its building in 2015, and had two “deficiencies” since then, according to records from the Electronic Quality Shipping Information System (Equasis).
Dali was involved in an incident in 2016 in the Port of Antwerp, port officials confirmer to CNN.
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Recovery efforts to continue for 6 people presumed dead after Baltimore bridge collapse. Here's what to know
From CNN staff
A drone view of the Dali cargo vessel in Baltimore on Tuesday.
NTSB/Reuters
The US Coast Guard has suspended rescue efforts for the six people who were on Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge when it collapsed after a cargo ship collision. Recovery efforts are now underway for the missing people, who are presumed dead.
Here are the latest developments:
Overnight search deemed unsafe: Recovery operations were halted overnight due to dangerous conditions, including unstable sections of the bridge and shipping containers hanging from the vessel. Divers will return to the water Wednesday to search for the missing.
Coast Guard assessing hazmat threat: The US Coast Guard is examining damaged shipping containers, some containing potentially hazardous materials, from the crashed vessel, according to a US government document obtained by CNN and a US official familiar with the matter. The team is also examining the ship’s manifest to determine if any materials on board may pose a health risk.
People from multiple countries are missing: Miguel Luna, a father of three from El Salvador, has been identified as one of the missing workers. Father-of-two Maynor Yassir Suazo Sandoval from Honduras has also been identified as one of the missing. Two Guatemalans are among those unaccounted for, and some of those missing are Mexican nationals, though we don’t know how many.
Investigators to collect evidence: The National Transportation Safety Board is leading an investigation into the incident and will likely board the vessel Wednesday to begin evidence collection.
Ship blacked out before crash: Minutes before impact, there was a “total blackout” of engine and electrical power on the ship, according to Clay Diamond, executive director of the American Pilots Association.
Reconstruction’s hefty price tag:Rebuilding the bridge will “not be quick” and will be costly, according to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. President Joe Biden called on Congress to support recovery efforts and said he wants the federal government to cover the full repair costs.
Vital shipping port closed: A top priority will be clearing the channel so the Port of Baltimore can reopen, US Sen. Chris Van Hollen told CNN Tuesday. He noted that around four ships cannot leave the port and about 20 others are waiting to get in.
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Honduran father of 2 presumed dead after Baltimore bridge collapse, family says
From CNN's Maria Santana and Melissa Alonso
Maynor Yassir Suazo Sandoval
Martin Suazo
One of the workers missing since the collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge has been identified as 38-year-old Maynor Yassir Suazo Sandoval, according to Martin Suazo, the man’s brother.
Martin, who lives in Honduras, told CNN that family members in Baltimore called him to tell him that his brother, who had been doing maintenance work on the bridge, was missing after the collapse.
His brother had lived in the United States for 18 years and was originally from Azacualpa in Honduras. He was a married father of an 18-year-old son and a 5-year-old daughter.
Martin said his brother was also an entrepreneur who had started his own maintenance company.
His family is still holding on to hope, believing that his brother could be found alive or that his body can be recovered so they can have some closure and give him a proper goodbye.
What we know about the victims: Six people believed to be part of a construction crew are presumed dead since the bridge collision.
Miguel Luna, a father of three from El Salvador who has called Maryland home for 19 years, was also among those missing.
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Father of 3 from El Salvador among 6 missing after Baltimore bridge collapse, nonprofit says
From CNN's Melissa Alonso and Tina Burnside
Miguel Luna
Obtained by CNN
Miguel Luna from El Salvador has been identified as one of six people on Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge when it collapsed, according to CASA, a nonprofit that provides services to working-class and immigrant families.
“Miguel Luna, from El Salvador, left at 6:30 p.m. Monday evening for work and… has not come home,” the statement said.
“The entire Baltimore region and CASA family is lamenting this tragedy,” said Torres. “Our hearts ache for the families of the victims and all those impacted by this horrific accident.”
The organization is “providing humanitarian support during this crisis is the priority, as families navigate this tragedy and seek answers about their missing loved ones.”
What we know about the victims: Six people believed to be part of a construction crew are presumed dead since the bridge collision.
The US Coast Guard has suspended its active rescue efforts.
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More than 1,000 personnel from US Army Corps of Engineers to help in aftermath of bridge collapse
From CNN's Haley Britzky
A man tries to photograph the cargo ship that hit and collapsed the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on Tuesday.
Scott Olson/Getty Images
More than 1,000 US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) personnel will assist in the aftermath of the collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge.
The team includes “engineering, construction, contracting and operations specialists” and will work with local, state, and federal agencies to remove the bridge and clear the federal shipping channel, a USACE news release said Tuesday.
The USACE will provide structural engineering support, waterway debris management, certified underwater assessment capabilities including sonar, as well as hydrographic and topographic surveying capabilities.
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Ships managed by Synergy Marine Group involved in at least 3 deadly incidents since 2018
From CNN’s Hande Atay Alam and Lucas Lilieholm
Ships managed by the Synergy Marine Group — the company that managed the vessel that hit Baltimore’s Key Bridge — have been involved in at least three deadly incidents since 2018, according to investigations and statements from officials in Australia, Singapore, and the Philippines.
In 2018, a person onboard a vessel managed by Synergy in Australia was killed in an accident involving the ship’s personnel elevator, according to a report from the Australian Transportation Safety Bureau.
In 2019, an officer on a Synergy-registered vessel in Singapore was reported missing after “likely fallen overboard while performing inspection or cleaning jobs at the outboard side,” according to a report by Singapore’s Transport Safety Investigation Bureau.
The report noted that if a risk assessment had been completed before the officer started their work it might have identified the risks involved and “the appropriate level of safety measures would have been included.”
In 2023, at least one sailor was killed when a Synergy-managed tanker collided with a dredging ship in the Philippines, causing it to capsize, according to an incident report from the Philippines Coast Guard.
The tanker referenced in the Philippine Coast Guard report, Petite Soeur, has been managed by Synergy since October 2022, according to the Electronic Quality Shipping Information System (Equasis) — a global tool promoting maritime safety.
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Victims of Baltimore bridge collapse include Mexican and Guatemalan nationals
From CNN's Mary Kay Mallonee and Melissa Alonso
Some of the individuals missing after the collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge are Mexican nationals, according to Rafael Laveaga, Chief of the Consular Section of Mexico’s Embassy in Washington.
Laveaga did not say how many of those missing were Mexican when he spoke to reporters near the scene Tuesday.
A reporter asked Laveaga: “It’s our understanding that some of these victims might have families or backgrounds from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador. What can you tell us?”
Laveaga said it was too early to determine the nationalities of all the victims.
The US Coast Guard has suspended its active rescue efforts for the six missing people.
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Coast Guard searching for potentially hazardous materials in ship containers damaged after bridge crash
From CNN's Sean Lyngaas
A Coast Guard cutter passes part of the structure of the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26, in Baltimore.
Steve Helber/AP
The US Coast Guard is examining more than a dozen damaged containers — some holding potentially hazardous materials — that were aboard the ship that crashed into Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, according to a US government document obtained by CNN and a US official familiar with the matter.
Thirteen damaged containers, “some with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and/or hazardous materials (HAZMAT) contents” are being examined by an elite Coast Guard team, according to an unclassified memo from the federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
The memo was distributed to NGOs and critical infrastructure operators on Tuesday evening.
A Coast Guard team trained in dealing with hazardous materials is investigating the ship’s manifest to determine what was on board and any health risks there might be, a US official said.
About 1.8 million gallons of “marine diesel spill potential” from the ship is also being monitored by federal officials, according to the memo.
Estimates like that are a “worst case scenario,” the official told CNN, adding that “a lot would have to go wrong now for all that fuel to spill.”
Still, the source said, first responders are taking precautions to minimize any potential fuel spill from the ship.
1.8 million gallons is “not an unusual amount of fuel for a ship of that size to carry,” the official told CNN.
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Search operation ends in "heartbreaking conclusion" Tuesday, Maryland governor says. Here's the latest
From CNN staff
The Dali container vessel after striking the Francis Scott Key Bridge that collapsed into the Patapsco River in Baltimore, Maryland, on Tuesday, March 26.
Al Drago/Bloomberg/Getty Images
Six people, who were believed to be part of a road construction crew, are presumed dead after Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed early Tuesday morning. The collapse came after a 984-foot cargo ship hit the bridge’s pillar.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore told reporters on Tuesday evening that the end of the rescue operation was a “really heartbreaking conclusion to a challenging day.”
Late Tuesday, it was discovered that two of the construction workers who were missing after the bridge collapsed were from Guatemala, the country’s foreign ministry said.
Here’s what you should know to get up to speed:
The victims: Eight people were on the bridge when it fell, according to officials. At least two people were rescued — one was taken to the hospital and was later discharged, officials said.
The incident: Video shows the moment the bridge fell into the water as the ship hit one of its pillars. CNN analysis shows that the ship’s lights flickered and it veered off course before hitting the bridge. Maryland’s governor said the crew on the ship was able to issue a “mayday” before colliding with the bridge, which allowed authorities to stop incoming traffic.
Response efforts: Dive teams from various state and local agencies were brought in to assist in rescue operations. The mission started with 50 personnel and continued to grow before the Coast Guard announced Tuesday evening that it was suspending its active rescue operation and transitioning to a “different phase.”
The investigation: Authorities are still working to establish why the crash occurred. The National Transportation Safety Boardwill investigate the bridge. It will “take time to dig through” whether the bridge had ever been flagged for any safety deficiencies, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said.
Rebuilding the bridge: US Sen. Chris Van Hollen said the path to rebuilding the bridge would be “long and expensive.” Senior White House adviser Tom Perez told reporters Tuesday “it’s too early” to tell how long it will take to rebuild the bridge.
Shouldering costs: President Joe Biden said he wants the federal government to bear the full cost of rebuilding the bridge, noting that it will not wait for the company that owns the ship, Dali, to shoulder the costs. Funding could come from the Federal Highway Administration and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, but it may require additional funding from Congress.
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2 of the missing construction workers from bridge collapse were from Guatemala
From CNN’s Allison Gordon, Flora Charner and Amy Simonson
Two of the construction workers missing from the bridge collapse in Baltimore were from Guatemala, the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement late Tuesday.
Those missing included a 26-year-old originally from San Luis, Petén. The other is a 35-year-old from Camotán, Chiquimula, the statement said.
The ministry said both were part of a work team “repairing the asphalt on the bridge at the time of the accident.”
The statement did not name the two people missing, but it said the country’s consul general in Maryland “went to the area where the families of those affected are located,” where he hopes to be able to meet with the brothers of both missing people.
The consulatealso issued a statement Tuesday saying its consul general in Maryland “remains in contact with local authorities,” and also confirmed that two of those missing “were of Guatemalan origin.”
Six people, who were believed to be part of a road construction crew, are presumed dead after Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed early Tuesday morning when a cargo ship hit the bridge’s pillar.
State and federal officials have not released information about the identities of any of the six missing workers.
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Crew member on Dali said everyone on board was safe hours after bridge collapse
From CNN’s Amy Simonson
A crew member on the Dali cargo ship sent a message hours after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed Tuesday saying everybody on board was safe, according to Apostleship of the Sea director Andy Middleton.
Middleton, who spent time with the captain of the Dali on Monday, told CNN’s Laura Coates he reached out to a crew member after hearing about the incident.
He said 22 members aboard the ship from India were setting sail on Tuesday morning and heading toward Sri Lanka.
Middleton was told by the ship’s captain Monday that the vessel was going to take a longer route to avoid risks along the Yemen coast.
Middleton said the Apostleship of the Sea is a ministry to seafarers with members that spend time in the port and on the vessels as a friendly face to the seafarers that visit the Port of Baltimore, “taking care of their needs to make sure that they’re reminded of their God-given human dignity when they’re here in Baltimore.”
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Here's what you need to know about the historic Francis Scott Key Bridge
From CNN staff
Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed early Tuesday after a container ship lost power and crashed into it, sending people and vehicles falling into the frigid Patapsco River.
Six people, believed to be part of a road construction crew, are presumed dead and the Coast Guard has ended its active rescue mission.
Here’s what you should know about the historic bridge:
How old? The Francis Scott Key Bridge, also referred to as the Key Bridge, opened to traffic in March 1977 and is the final link in the Baltimore Beltway, according to the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA.) It crosses over the 50-foot-deep Patapsco River, where former US attorney Francis Scott Key found inspiration to write the lyrics to the Star Spangled Banner, according to MDTA.
How long? The bridge was 1.6 miles long, according to MDTA.
Traffic volume: More than 30,000 people commuted daily on the bridge, according to Maryland Gov. Wes Moore.
How much did it cost? The bridge cost $60.3 million to build, MDTA said. President Joe Biden said he’s committed to helping rebuild the bridge as soon as possible.
About the port: Baltimore ranks as the ninth biggest US port for international cargo. It handled a record 52.3 million tons, valued at $80.8 billion, in 2023. According to the Maryland state government, the port supports 15,330 direct jobs and 139,180 jobs in related services.
About the ship: The bridge collapsed after a container vessel called Dali collided with one of its supports. Dali is operated by Singapore-based Synergy Group but had been chartered to carry cargo by Danish shipping giant Maersk. The ship is about 984 feet long, according to MarineTraffic data. That’s the length of almost three football fields.
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"Heartbreaking conclusion to a challenging day," Maryland governor says as Coast Guard ends search
From CNN's Aditi Sangal
People look out toward the Francis Scott Key Bridge following its collapse in Baltimore, Maryland on March 26.
Kent Nishimura/AFP/Getty Images
More than 18 hours after the collapse of the Baltimore bridge, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said it was a heartbreaking conclusion after the Coast Guard ended the search-and-rescue operation for the six people who were on the bridge when it collapsed.
It’s a “really heartbreaking conclusion to a challenging day,” he said.
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Ship suffered a total blackout before collision with bridge, pilot association official says
From CNN's Yahya Abou-Ghazala
Aerial view of the Dali cargo vessel and collapsed bridge seen on Tuesday, March 26.
Maryland National Guard/Handout/Reuters
The pilot of the ship that crashed into a Baltimore bridge Tuesday did “everything that he could have done” to slow the ship and keep it from drifting toward the bridge, said Clay Diamond, executive director and general counsel of the American Pilots Association.
Diamond has been in close communication with the Association of Maryland Pilots over what unfolded on the Dali cargo ship in the moments leading up to the crash.
At that point, according to Diamond, the pilot did “everything that he could have done” to both slow the ship down and keep it from drifting to the right, toward the bridge.
The pilot quickly gave a string of orders, calling for a hard rudder to port — as far left as possible — and for the anchor to be dropped.
Additionally, Diamond said, the pilot was the one who contacted the pilot dispatch office to shut down traffic to the bridge.
Diamond pointed out that while the lights on the boat could be seen turning back on — likely due to an emergency generator activating after the initial blackout — the ship’s engines never got running again.
Some background: Maritime pilots, who are required to be licensed, temporarily board a ship and help guide the vessel as it maneuvers through local waters. Pilot training programs are extensive and rigorous, according to Diamond, requiring years of experience navigating ships on the water, classroom simulations, and working under the supervision of licensed pilots.
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Ship diverged from standard route under Baltimore bridge
From CNN staff
A massive cargo ship plowed into Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge early Tuesday.
Take a look at its path:
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Search divers will be back in the water Wednesday morning to help families find closure
From CNN's Aditi Sangal
Recovery efforts will be focused on finding the missing people to provide closure to their families, said Col. Roland L. Butler Jr., secretary of Maryland State Police.
Divers are expected to be back in the water at 6 a.m. ET on Wednesday when “we’ll find ourselves in a better position to understand the dynamics of what we’re dealing with, and to address the issues in a much safer manner,” he said.
Meanwhile, surface ships will continue working overnight.
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No information to support that there were additional vehicles on the bridge when it collapsed
From CNN's Elise Hammond
A Maryland law enforcement official said while there is a “distinct possibility” that there could have been more vehicles on the bridge when it collapsed, they have not found any evidence to support that.
Authorities have been able to find three passenger vehicles, a cement truck and a fifth vehicle submerged in the water using infrared and side-scan sonar technology, Baltimore City Fire Chief James Wallace previously told CNN.
Radio traffic captured how authorities stopped traffic and worked to clear the bridge seconds before the impact.
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Coast Guard is suspending its active search
From CNN's Elise Hammond
The Coast Guard is ending its active search-and-rescue operation for the six missing people who were on Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge when it collapsed.
Based on the length of time since the bridge collapsed and the water temperatures “we do not believe that we are going to find any of these individuals still alive,” Rear Adm. Shannon Gilreath said.
The bridge collapsed at around 1:30 a.m. ET after a container ship hit its pillar. The active search-and-rescue efforts were suspended around 7:30 p.m. ET, Gilreath said.
Gilreath emphasized that the Coast Guard is not leaving but is “just going to transition to a different phase.”
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Conditions have made it dangerous for first responders and divers to be in the water
From CNN's Aditi Sangal
Conditions have changed and made it dangerous for first responders and divers to be in the water around the collapsed Baltimore bridge, Col. Roland L. Butler Jr., secretary of Maryland State Police, said at a news briefing on Tuesday.
“The changing conditions out there have made it dangerous for the first responders, the divers in the water,” he explained. “We will still have surface ships out overnight.”
He said divers are expected to be back in the water at 6 a.m. ET on Wednesday when “we’ll find ourselves in a better position to understand the dynamics of what we’re dealing with, and to address the issues in a much safer manner.”
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Correction: An earlier version of this post contained an interview that was done by a CNN affiliate with a port worker who described electrical issues on the ship. Since this post was published, the subject of the interview has informed our affiliate that she cannot stand by her comments.
