Biden OKs $60M in aid after bridge collapse
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore warned Thursday of a “very long road ahead” to recover from the loss of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge as the Biden administration approved $60 million in immediate federal aid after the deadly collapse.
Meanwhile the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was moving the largest crane on the Eastern Seaboard to help remove the wreckage of the bridge, Moore said, so work to clear the channel and reopen the key shipping route can begin. The machine, which can lift up to 1,000 tons, was expected to arrived Thursday evening, and U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen said a second crane with a 400-ton capacity could arrive Saturday.
The state is “deeply grateful” for the federal funds and support, Moore said at an evening news conference.
Moore promised Thursday that “the best minds in the world” were working on plans to clear the debris, move the cargo ship that rammed into the bridge from the channel, recover the bodies of the four remaining workers presumed dead and investigate what went wrong.
“Government is working hand in hand with industry to investigate the area, including the wreck, and remove the ship,” said Moore, a Democrat, who said the quick aid is needed to “lay the foundation for a rapid recovery.” President Joe Biden has pledged the federal government would pay the full cost of rebuilding the bridge.
“This work is not going to take hours. This work is not going to take days. This work is not going to take weeks,” Moore said.
“We have a very long road ahead of us.”
Van Hollen said 32 members of the Army Corps of Engineers are surveying the scene of the collapse and 38 Navy contractors are working on the salvage operation.
The devastation left behind after the powerless cargo ship struck a support pillar early Tuesday is extensive. Divers recovered the bodies of two men from a pickup truck in the Patapsco River near the bridge's middle span Wednesday, but officials said they have to start clearing the wreckage before anyone could reach the bodies of four other missing workers.
State police have said that based on sonar scans, the vehicles appear to be encased in a “superstructure” of concrete and other debris.
National Transportation Safety Board officials boarded the ship, the Dali, to recover information from its electronics and paperwork and to interview the crew. Investigators shared a preliminary timeline of events before the crash, which federal and state officials have said appeared to be an accident.
“The best minds in the world are coming together to collect the information,” Moore said Thursday.
Of the 21 crew members on the ship, 20 are from India, Randhir Jaiswal, the nation's foreign ministry spokesperson, told reporters. One was slightly injured and needed stitches, but “all are in good shape,” Jaiswal said.
The victims, who were part of a construction crew fixing potholes on the bridge, were from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, Butler said. At least eight people initially went into the water when the ship struck the bridge column, and two of them were rescued Tuesday, officials said.
The crash caused the bridge to break and fall into the water within seconds. Authorities had just enough time to stop vehicle traffic, but didn't get a chance to alert the construction crew.
During the Baltimore Orioles' opening day game Thursday, Sgt. Paul Pastorek, Cpl. Jeremy Herbert and Officer Garry Kirts of the Maryland Transportation Authority were honored for their actions in halting bridge traffic and preventing further loss of life.