Maryland Governor Wes Moore noted that officials stopped traffic on the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore before a massive cargo ship hit a support column.
The container ship Dali issued a mayday call as it approached the 1.6-mile-long bridge at about eight knots, a “very rapid speed,” Moore said. After this notification, officials prevented more cars from entering the bridge before the collapse, he stated.
“These people are heroes,” Moore told reporters during a Tuesday press briefing, “They saved lives last night.”
After personnel on the ship alerted the Maryland Department of Transportation that they lost control of the vessel, local authorities could close the bridge before it was struck, “which undoubtedly saved lives,” President Joe Biden said Tuesday during remarks on the disaster.
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According to an internal U.S. Department of Homeland Security briefing, a review of traffic cameras confirmed that there were “no vehicles transiting the bridge at the time of the incident.” The Singapore-flagged vessel struck the bridge around 1:30 a.m. ET, causing a partial collapse, officials said.
Authorities reported that several workers from a maintenance team and multiple vehicles fell into the water during the incident. Officials said two workers were rescued, but six remained unaccounted for after the collapse.
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Governor Moore stated that authorities were striving to ascertain the number of individuals involved in the incident. He emphasized, “The thing we do know is that many of the vehicles were stopped before they got onto the bridge, which saved lives in a very, very heroic way.”
A search-and-rescue operation is underway, with divers and emergency personnel combing the area. They are looking for people believed to have fallen from the collapsing bridge into the frigid water.
Governor Moore expressed condolences to the victims and their loved ones.
He stated, “All our hearts are broken.” Moore emphasized the importance of unity in times of adversity. He said, “In the face of heartbreak, we come together, we embrace each other.”
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Moore stated there was no credible evidence indicating terrorist involvement in the crash; it appeared to be a tragic accident. A Coast Guard memo obtained by ABC News revealed that a harbor pilot and an assistant aboard the cargo ship reported power issues, which resulted in multiple alarms on the vessel’s bridge and loss of propulsion.
The bridge, part of Interstate 695, spans the Patapsco River in the Port of Baltimore. According to the Maryland Transportation Authority, an estimated 30,000 vehicles crossed the bridge daily.
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