US President Joe Biden has said that the federal government will bear the cost to rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.
“It’s my intention that the federal government will pay for the entire cost of reconstructing that bridge and I expect the Congress to support my effort,” he said.
A container vessel The Dali rammed into Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key bridge yesterday leading to the entire bridge collapsing into the Patapsco River. Authorities described it as a “mass casualty incident” with a search on for as many as 20 people who were on the bridge when it was hit.
The vessel, which was headed from Baltimore to Colombo, Sri Lanka and flying under a Singapore flag, is about 300 metres long and about 48 metres wide, according to data from Marine Traffic.
Synergy Marine Group, which manages the ship, confirmed that it hit a pillar of the bridge, while in control of one or more pilots, who are local specialists who help guide vessels safely into and out of ports. The ship is owned by Grace Ocean Private Ltd.
The crash sent cars and people into the river below and closed one of the busiest ports on the US Eastern Seaboard. Six people died in the incident.
The bridge is a main thoroughfare for drivers between New York and Washington who sought to avoid downtown Baltimore. Over 31,000 cars cross the bridge daily.
“I know every minute in that circumstance feels like a lifetime,” Biden said to people who are still awaiting word on those missing after the collapse.
The collapse, though, is not likely to hurt worldwide trade because Baltimore is not a major port for container vessels. Its facilities are more important when it comes to goods such as farm equipment and autos, said Judah Levine, head of research for global freight booking platform Freightos.
With inputs from AP
