Two days after a container ship collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore,marylandClearing operations were launched on the 28th to clear the river channel as quickly as possible and resume ship traffic; Maryland Governor Wes Moore requestedfederal governmentAn emergency allocation of 60 million yuan was made to repair the broken bridge and mitigate the economic impact of the broken bridge incident.
The Associated Press reported that a large barge and a crane arrived at the scene on the 28th to clear parts of the broken metal and cement bridge, a first step in restoring the waterway.
Moore promised to bring in “world-class” talent to remove obstacles blocking shipping routes, dislodge a container ship that hit a bridge pier, search for the bodies of four workers who died in the water, and investigate. Cause of accident; But he said reform is needed and the old approach still has a “long way” to go.
He said the government and industry are working together to investigate the damage and the state government needs “urgent support” to lay the foundation for a “quick recovery”. President Biden has promised that the federal government will fully cover the cost of rebuilding the new bridge.
Moore said the work to rebuild the new bridge could not be completed in a few hours, days or weeks; The Coast Guard said on the evening of the 27th that it has dispatched a boat to the site, but it is currently unclear when the crane, a machine capable of lifting debris, will arrive.
Maryland State Police Commissioner Roland L. Butler Jr. said, “We are switching from recovery operations to rescue operations because after the massive bridge collapse, a large amount of cement and metal debris was buried over the fallen car, making it difficult for divers to reach the scene.” It had become impossible for him to swim. Even if he was nearby, there would be no way to save him.”
He said, “We have exhausted all search and rescue methods in the area. From the sonar scan results, we strongly believe that the car is wrapped in the huge bridge structure and cement blocks.”
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) officials boarded the cargo ship Daley, obtained electronic and written information from it, and interrogated the captain and crew. After investigators learned what happened before and after the crash, federal and state officials concluded that it was more likely to have been an accident.
“The best minds in the world are working together to gather information so we can handle a bridge incident quickly and safely,” Moore said.
IndiaExternal Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that of the 21 crew members on the cargo ship, 20 were from India. One of them was slightly injured and required stitches. “The rest are safe and healthy.”
Butler said the workers who unfortunately fell into the water were repairing holes in the bridge deck and were from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. At least eight people fell into the river when the bridge collapsed. Two people were rescued that day and the bodies of two others were also found on the 27th. Although officials stopped vehicles crossing the bridge in time, they did not have time to inform the eight people working on the bridge.
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