Baltimore Bridge drone footage: Six workers missing after collapse now presumed dead.
Drone footage of US bridges: Newly released drone footage offers a bird’s-eye view of the aftermath of yesterday’s bridge collapse in Baltimore, US. Aerial views show the bridge in ruins, with large amounts of debris scattered on the water and parts of the structure collapsing from different angles.
In the wreckage, the cargo ship, laden with cargo, can be seen stuck in the middle of the bridge. It also features a zoomed out view showing the full extent of the bridge’s damage.
The 1.6-mile-long bridge, which connects the Baltimore Beltway/Interstate 695 across the Patapsco River, reportedly collapsed around 1:30 a.m.
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The Dali, a Singapore-flagged container ship en route from Baltimore to Sri Lanka, struck a concrete pier supporting a bridge, causing the bridge to collapse and causing cars and people to fall into the river. Shortly before the accident, the ship had sent out a distress signal citing a power outage. The cause of the power outage was not immediately clear.
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore said the Dali had anchored before the incident as part of emergency procedures. Fortunately, authorities managed to stop traffic to the bridge before the accident occurred to avoid casualties.
Two people were rescued, one of them was safe and the other was seriously injured. The cargo ship’s crew reported no injuries. Six workers who were missing after the collapse are now presumed dead and officials have suspended the search operation until the next day.
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“Based on the length of this search, the extensive search effort we put into it, and the temperature of the water, at this time we do not believe we will find any of these individuals alive,” Coast Guard Rear Adm. Shannon Gillies said.
Some experts believe the bridge’s main support structure may not be adequately protected from collisions with larger ships.
Toby Mottram, professor of structural engineering at the University of Warwick, said: “The huge power of this large cargo ship, especially when it is fully loaded with cargo, will have a considerable impact when it is hit. Obviously the piers cannot withstand the impact. force. The extent of damage to the bridge’s superstructure appears to be disproportionate to the cause.”
