Following the discovery of two bodies in the waters below the Francis Scott Key Bridge, authorities have revealed they are suspending the recovery operation.
On Tuesday, the nation was rocked after a 984-foot-long cargo ship - identified as the Dali - collided with the iconic Baltimore bridge, causing it to collapse into the Patapsco River.
The following day, it was reported that the bodies of two construction workers - who were on the bridge at the time of the incident - had been recovered from a submerged vehicle. They had reportedly been filling potholes on the bridge at the time of the tragedy.
Four individuals - also construction workers - are still missing and presumed dead.
Now, authorities have transitioned their efforts to a "salvage" operation aimed at removing wreckage from the Patapsco River.
Search operations for victims' remains have been halted due to hazardous conditions, with divers unable to access submerged vehicles, per The Washington Post.
Colonel Roland L. Butler Jr., superintendent of the Maryland State Police, stated in a news conference on Wednesday night that all search efforts in the vicinity of the wreckage have been exhausted. Sonar scans indicate that vehicles are likely "encased in the superstructure and concrete" that collapsed, Butler explained.
While the focus has shifted to salvage recovery, Butler assured that search efforts for victims will resume once conditions permit.
He emphasized the need for patience at this time, stating: "There is no definitive timeline [...] Once the salvage effort takes place and that superstructure is removed, those same divers are going to go back out there and bring those people closure."
According to Maryland State Police Superintendent Col. Roland L. Butler Jr., the four missing individuals and the two recovered victims have been identified as hailing from Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras,
They were six of eight members of a construction crew who were working on the bridge during the incident. Fortunately, the other two individuals were rescued - with one of them reportedly being in a critical condition.
The Coast Guard announced the establishment of a unified command with state and federal agencies to manage the situation. Rear Admiral Shannon Gilreath emphasized the priority of reopening the waterway to ensure the safe movement of commerce in and out of the port of Baltimore.
President Joe Biden also underscored the significance of the Port of Baltimore as a vital economic artery, declaring on Tuesday: "The Port of Baltimore is one of the nation's largest shipping hubs."
He emphasized the urgency of restoring operations at the port, stressing: "We're going to get it up and running again as soon as possible."
Additionally, Maryland Governor Wes Moore described the collapse as "a global crisis" on Wednesday, emphasizing the crucial role of the Port of Baltimore in the national and world economy.
Baltimore's port is a crucial hub for automobile shipments, and restricted access threatens to exacerbate disruptions in already stressed supply chains.
In a separate briefing on Wednesday, Jennifer Homendy, Chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, disclosed that interviews with the ship's crew, including the two pilots, would continue into Thursday as part of the agency's investigation into the collision.
Our thoughts at this time continue to go out to the city of Baltimore and anybody impacted by this tragedy.
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