Baltimore bridge collapse: Six missing people presumed dead, search suspended

The search for six people missing after the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore has been suspended because they are presumed dead after an 18-hour search operation, CNN reports.

“I want to announce tonight that based on the length of our search, the extensive search effort that we’ve put into it, and the temperature of the water, we don’t believe at this time that we’re going to find anybody that’s still alive,” Maj. Gen. Shannon Gillies told the News Tuesday night. told reporters at a press conference.

A massive container ship lost power and hit the Baltimore Bridge early Tuesday, collapsing and sending people and vehicles on the bridge into the icy Patapsco River.

Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul J. Wiedefield said at a news conference earlier in the day that the six people currently missing are believed to be members of a construction crew working to repair potholes on the bridge.

The U.S. Coast Guard does not believe they will be able to find them alive as they have been searching for them for some time. The water was cold and they watched a lot. A giant ship hit the Baltimore Bridge early Tuesday, collapsing and pushing people and cars into the icy water.

“We are suspending active search and rescue efforts. The Coast Guard is not going away, our partners are not going away, but we are just going to transition to a different phase,” Gillies said.

Baltimore City Fire Chief James Wallace said two people were rescued from the river early Tuesday. One was not injured, but the other was seriously injured and was taken to hospital. One person who was hospitalized improved and went home.

Wallace added that eight dive teams of about 50 divers were working on the rescue.

Earlier, firefighters searched the water, using advanced equipment to look for anything underwater.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said a vessel that struck a bridge telling people it had a problem before the accident could have helped save lives. The governor said they don’t have any more information yet, but they are still looking for the six missing people.

“We’re thankful that between the call for help and the collapse, we had officers who were able to start stopping traffic so there weren’t any more cars on the bridge,” Moore said.

When the bridge collapsed, many cars and even large trucks fell into the river. Rescuers are using special techniques to find them and about 50 divers are helping. Thankfully, they found no one still in the car in the water.