Missing bridge workers presumed dead
Recovery operation begins; NTSB takes over investigation of disaster
BALTIMORE − Recovery efforts began Wednesday to find the bodies of six missing construction workers after a cargo ship struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, causing it to collapse into the Patapsco River.
The Dali, a Singapore-flagged cargo vessel, lost power before it hit a support column of the bridge, officials said. Though a “mayday” gave authorities on the ground time to halt traffic, eight construction workers on the bridge were plunged into the river.
A massive search began early Tuesday, with divers, helicopters and sonar from dozens of agencies being used. Authorities rescued two people before officials called off the search-and-rescue mission Tuesday evening. The missing workers were presumed dead based on the temperature of the water and the amount of time that had elapsed. Authorities said that after a pause overnight because of a strong current and low visibility, they would transition to recovery efforts.
Scattered showers across Maryland and much of the Northeast on Wednesday threatened to hamper the recovery mission, according to the National Weather Service. The rain is anticipated to worsen on Thursday as a large storm system moves over the area following a cold front. Officials have cited the temperature of the water as a major issue complicating divers’ ability to search the river.
“We do not know where they are but we intend to give our best effort to help these families find closure,” said Col. Roland L. Butler Jr., Maryland State Police superintendent.
2 victims identified
A Baltimore nonprofit identified a father of three from El Salvador as one of the six missing construction workers.
In a news release, CASA said Miguel Luna, who has lived in Maryland for over 19 years, didn’t return home after he left for work on Monday around 6:30 p.m. He was a longtime member of CASA, a nonprofit day worker center that provides assistance for workers and immigrant families.
“Providing humanitarian support during this crisis is the priority, as families navigate this tragedy and seek answers about their missing loved ones,” Gustavo Torres, CASA’s executive director, said in a statement. “The entire Baltimore region and CASA family is lamenting this tragedy.”
Maynor Yasir Suazo Sandoval, 38, a Honduran national who arrived in the U.S. about two decades ago, was also among the missing, according to Wilson Paz, director-general of the protection of Honduran migrants. Honduran officials made contact with Suazo Sandoval’s brother in Honduras and another sibling in the U.S.
Late Tuesday, the Mexican Consulate in Washington, D.C., confirmed that there were Mexican people missing, but did not specify how many. The Guatemalan Ministry of Foreign Affairs also confirmed two Guatemalan nationals, ages 26 and 35, went missing while working on the bridge but did not release their names.
The University of Maryland Medical Center said its trauma center treated and discharged one of the two rescued men.
The workers were employed by Brawner Builders, a Maryland-based construction firm that is contracted by the Maryland Transportation Authority and several public agencies in the Baltimore area. The company has eight building inspection units, according to its website.
NTSB to probe loss of power
The crew of 22 Indian nationals who were aboard the Dali cargo ship when it crashed into the Key Bridge had not left the vessel as of Wednesday morning, U.S. Coast Guard spokesperson Cynthia Oldham told USA TODAY.
Officials on Tuesday said inspectors had to make sure it was safe to board the ship before the crew could be taken to shore and investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board, which has assumed the investigation, could begin an on-site probe.
NTSB investigators were able to board the Dali on Tuesday night and were scheduled to begin interviewing crew members on Wednesday, CNN reported, citing Jennifer Homendy, the agency’s chair. The investigation will also include interviews with officials who were on the bridge just before the crash and whether there were “major deficiencies” on the ship, according to Homendy. The agency is aware of the reported power issues on the cargo ship, Homendy said, which investigations will need to verify.
A U.S. official who was not authorized to speak publicly told USA TODAY that the ship’s power loss could be related to mechanical failure. Dali had been involved in at least one accident prior to Tuesday’s crash.
While the 9-year-old container ship had passed previous inspections, officials discovered a deficiency with its “propulsion and auxiliary machinery (gauges, thermometers, etc)” during an inspection in June at the Port of San Antonio in Chile, according to the Tokyo MOU, an intergovernmental maritime authority in the Asia-Pacific region.
Sources familiar with the investigation told The Wall Street Journal that investigators will examine whether contaminated fuel may have caused the ship’s power problems.
Joseph Barbera, an associate professor at George Washington University whose research focuses on emergency and risk management, said it will likely take weeks before the massive cargo vessel can be cleared from the river.
He said experts will have to conduct structural evaluations before deciding how best to move the ship so the massive chunks of steel can be taken out of the water. Inspectors will have to secure the fuel, determine the state of the engines and decide whether they’d want to remove some of the containers to lessen the weight of the ship.
Contributing: Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY