BALTIMORE - Government officials including Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and Maryland Sen. Ben Cardin shared Tuesday afternoon that the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge remains the scene of an active search and rescue mission. Details surrounding the investigation into the collision and plans to rebuild remain limited.
A senior executive for the company that employed the workers who were on the bridge when it collapsed said later Tuesday afternoon that they are all presumed dead.
RESCUE EFFORTS
"There is not a single resource we will hold off from deploying," Moore said during Tuesday afternoon's press conference.
Two people have been rescued so far with at least six more still missing. Sonar was in use to detect vehicles submerged in the water, according to NBC News, and rescue crews have been searching in the river since early Tuesday morning. The eight people missing were part of a Brawner Builders construction crew that was fixing pot holes, according to Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedfeld.
The Dali, a 948-foot container ship, collided with the bridge overnight after appearing to lose power and issuing a mayday call.
Moore could not confirm information regarding additional vehicles that were on the bridge at the time of the impact but thanked the officials who stopped more cars from driving onto it following the ship's mayday calls.
Moore declined to comment further regarding any safety violations that may have contributed to the crash, citing an ongoing investigation into the events leading up to and immediately following it.
FEDERAL ASSISTANCE
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said the federal government will step in to provide assistance, and that his department is prepared to approve emergency funding as soon as the request is received.
Buttigieg highlighted a number of federal agencies that will assist with bridge repairs and noted the importance of doing so. Despite sharing concerns about impacts from the bridge's collapse and closed ports on supply chains and the local and national economy, he emphasized that the immediate focus is on search and rescue efforts and supporting the families involved.
"The path to normalcy will not be easy. It will not be quick. It will be expensive, but we will rebuild together," Buttigieg said.
Buttigieg was not clear about the length of time the bridge will be closed, saying it was too soon to provide an estimate on how long it would take to clear the channel.
ECONOMIC IMPACT
Shipping both by truck and boat has been disrupted, as maritime traffic entering and leaving the Port of Baltimore has been suspended indefinitely. Jessica Gail, spokesperson for the American Trucking Associations, told the Associated Press that 3,600 trucks cross the Key Bridge each day.Â
Normal traffic that would typically use the bridge has been diverted towards Baltimore on I-95 and I-895. Commercial vehicles that can't fit in the tunnels or that are prohibited from using them due to carrying hazardous materials will need to use I-695, which will take them around Baltimore and add about 30 miles to their trip.
Road detours are in place to divert traffic that would typically use the bridge through Baltimore on I-95 and I-895. Commercial vehicles that can't fit in the tunnels or that are prohibited from using them due to carrying hazardous materials will need to use I-695, which will take them around Baltimore and add about 30 miles to their trip.
Officials say the unknown timeline of clearing the channel and repairing the bridge will lead to delays and increasing costs.