Victims of Baltimore Bridge Collapse Identified

The bodies of two construction workers killed in the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, have been recovered.

Maryland State Police (MSP) said at a press briefing Wednesday evening that recovery crews found Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, 35, of Baltimore, and Dorlian Castillo Cabrera, 26, of Dundalk, Maryland, shortly before 10 a.m. ET Wednesday.

Colonel Roland Butler, superintendent for MSP, said the victims were discovered in a red pickup truck submerged approximately 25 feet in the Patapsco River. The vehicle was near the middle span of the bridge, which collapsed after a cargo ship traveling in the Baltimore Inner Harbor lost power. Butler said family members for both victims were notified in person by MSP personnel Wednesday afternoon.

The Context

The Key Bridge plunged into Baltimore harbor at approximately 1:30 a.m. Tuesday after the cargo ship Dali suffered a complete power outage and plowed into the span. Officials on Tuesday said the vessel's engine and navigation equipment were disabled before the crash.

Six construction workers were unaccounted for after the bridge collapse, and officials said at a press briefing Tuesday evening that they were suspending search-and-rescue operations and shifting to a recovery mission, adding that they did not expect "to find any of these individuals still alive." Four workers remain missing.

Two other workers were hoisted from the river alive by rescuers on Tuesday, with one being hospitalized.

What We Know

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg urged the federal government during a news conference Wednesday to "tear down any barriers, bureaucratic as well as financial" that may slow reconstruction of the bridge and reopening of the port. President Joe Biden said Tuesday that his administration was prepared to fund the "entire cost of reconstructing" the bridge.

According to Maryland state data, more than 874,000 vehicles traveled through the port last year. The harbor is a key contributor to Baltimore's economy, providing more than 15,000 jobs and generating $2.6 billion in business income to the state in 2023.

Views

Maryland Governor Wes Moore said on Wednesday that an investigation of the Dali power outage is ongoing.

"The thing that we do know is that we had documented that there were power challenges as the freight was coming up on the bridge," Moore said at a briefing. "The mayday call came in because of the power issues and the lack of ability to steer the vessel."

Officials were given time to stop traffic from both ends of the bridge as the Dali approached the span Tuesday morning after the ship's mayday call. Biden has said that those who blocked traffic "undoubtedly saved lives."

Moore added, "One of the survivors, who I had the opportunity to speak with, one of the things he mentioned to me was as he was moving off of the bridge and literally saw the bridge fall right after he moved off. It was because it was a first responder who was telling him to move off the bridge."

What's Next?

Recovery efforts continue for the four construction workers still missing and are presumed dead, the U.S. Coast Guard has said. The victims are from Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, and notifications to family members living outside the U.S. are being handled by the FBI, officials said on Wednesday.

Update 03/27/24, 8 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information and background.