The US government had provided an immediate financial aid of $60 million to the state of Maryland in emergency relief for the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.
The bridge collapsed on Tuesday after a massive cargo freighter lost power and crashed into the structure. So far two bodies have been recovered and four are presumed to be dead.
Earlier, Maryland Governor Wes Moore had requested for $60 million, while the federal government approved within hours. In a press conference, he said that the state was “deeply grateful” for the federal funds and support.
Assuring the people that work was going on in full swing, Moore added that the “the best minds in the world” were working on plans to clear the debris and move the cargo ship from the channel and investigate what actually went wrong.
“Government is working hand in hand with industry to investigate the area, including the wreck, and remove the ship. This work is not going to take hours. This work is not going to take days. This work is not going to take weeks. We have a very long road ahead of us,” he noted.
The devastation caused by the powerless cargo ship is extensive. Divers recovered the bodies of two men from a pickup truck in the Patapsco River near the bridge’s middle span. However, officials said that they have to start clearing the wreckage before anyone could reach the bodies of four other missing workers.
Meanwhile, National Transportation Safety Board officials boarded the ship, the Dali, to recover information from its electronics and paperwork and to interview the captain and crew members.
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 and good health,” Jaiswal said.
The Dali, which is managed by Synergy Marine Group, was headed from Baltimore to Sri Lanka. It is owned by Grace Ocean Private Ltd. and was chartered by Danish shipping giant Maersk.
From 1960 to 2015, there were 35 major bridge collapses worldwide due to ship or barge collisions, according to the World Association for Waterborne Transport Infrastructure.
With inputs from AP
