Officials have decided to suspend search-and-rescue operations for the missing construction workers after Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, collapsed early Tuesday morning.
During a press briefing Tuesday evening, U.S. Coast Guard officials said they were switching their operation to a recovery phase to find the six workers, saying, "at this point, we do not believe that we're going to find any of these individuals still alive."
The Context
The Key Bridge collapsed at approximately 1:30 a.m. ET Tuesday after a freighter ship departing from Baltimore's Inner Harbor lost power and plowed into the span. Eight construction workers were patching potholes on the bridge at the time of the collapse. Two of the workers have been found.
Officials previously identified the crew members as immigrants from Central America, and a representative of the contracting company that employed the workers described them as "hard-working, humble men."
What We Know
During Tuesday night's press conference, Rear Admiral Shannon Gilreath of the U.S. Coast Guard thanked the Baltimore community "for the outpouring of support" to the first responders who have led search teams for the missing crew members. She also assured that the Coast Guard was "not going away" now that search-and-rescue operations were suspended.
Colonel Roland Butler of the Maryland State Police also told reporters that the "changing conditions" of the river, including frigid water temperatures and changing currents, "have made it dangerous for the first responders," although there are plans to put divers in the water to conduct recovery operations tomorrow morning.
Views
President Joe Biden said at a press conference earlier in the day Tuesday that he intends to have the federal government "pay for the entire cost of reconstructing that bridge. And I expect Congress to support my effort."
Butler added Tuesday night that officials "do not know where" the missing crew members are, "but we intend to give it our best effort to help these families find closure."
Newsweek reached out to the White House for additional comment on Tuesday night.
What's Next?
Maryland Governor Wes Moore has said that there is no timeline for bridge reconstruction, adding during a press conference, "Right now, our exclusive focus is on saving lives."
The Port of Baltimore added in a post to X, formerly Twitter, that traffic in and out of the port is "suspended until further notice."
"At this time we do not know how long vessel traffic will be suspended," the post said. "As soon as that is determined we will provide an update."
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Kaitlin Lewis is a Newsweek reporter on the Night Team based in Boston, Massachusetts. Her focus is reporting on national ... Read more
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
