Baltimore bridge collapse rescue op called off: All we know so far

🔴 Minutes before the crashing into a Baltimore bridge, the cargo ship operators lost power and issued a mayday call, allowing authorities to limit traffic on the span, said Maryland’s governor on Tuesday.

🔴 The Dali container vessel that collided with a bridge in Baltimore was chartered by shipping company Maersk at the time of the accident, the Danish company said in a statement.

🔴 The Maersk-chartered vessel, carrying cargo, was 985 feet long and 157 feet wide, according to the website.

🔴According to reports, potholes on the bridge were being fixed by eight construction crews, who fell into the water. The water temperature was said to be around 8°C before dawn on Tuesday.

🔴Two people were rescued, one unharmed, and one in serious condition. However, six people remained missing.

🔴 The entire 22-member crew of the cargo ship were Indians, the company said in a latest statement.

🔴 Maryland Governor Wes Moore declared a ‘state of emergency’, while also thanking those who are carrying out search and rescue operations.

🔴 Synergy Marine Group said that the ship named Dali was headed from Baltimore to Colombo, Sri Lanka. All 22 crew members, including two pilots, were accounted for and there were no injuries, according to the ship’s manager.

🔴  An initial investigation concluded that the bridge collapse was accidental and that there is no credible evidence of a terrorist attack. This was announced by Moore, a Democrat, during a press conference held near the bridge.

🔴 According to reports, the bridge carried, 1.3 million vehicles a year, the Maryland Transportation Authority said. The I-695 highway that circles Baltimore, is also known as the Baltimore Beltway.

🔴It took five years to construct the four-lane steel bridge which spans 1.6 miles (2.6 km) and was opened in 1977. The bridge crosses the Patapsco River, where the U.S. national anthem author Francis Scott Key wrote the “Star Spangled Banner” in 1814 after witnessing the British defeat at the Battle of Baltimore and the British bombing of Fort McHenry.

With inputs from Agencies