State and federal authorities are working to clean up busy ports
Washington:
The largest operating crane on the U.S. East Coast towered over the Port of Baltimore on Friday, preparing to begin clearing the wreckage of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, days after a cargo ship struck it, causing the bridge to fall. port.
Crews were still investigating the damage as of noon Friday. U.S. Coast Guard spokesperson Carmen Carver said the crane, which can lift 1,000 tons, arrived Thursday night and could begin pulling the wreckage from the water on Saturday morning.
A second crane is on the way and expected to arrive soon to assist with the work, she said.
State and federal authorities are focused on clearing the busy port and rebuilding bridges after a large container ship, the Dali, which lost power hit a support column early Tuesday, causing the structure to collapse and killing six workers.
Divers have recovered the bodies of two missing construction workers who were repairing the bridge when the accident occurred. The remaining four are believed to be trapped underwater. All were immigrants from Mexico and Central America.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said at a news conference Thursday that finding the remaining bodies was a top priority. Crews also had to assess how to remove the stuck vessel, which was carrying thousands of containers and was trapped by bridge debris.
“The Dali is almost as long as the Eiffel Tower, and there’s a key bridge on the Dali. We’re talking 3,000 or 4,000 tons of steel on top of that ship, so we have a job to do,” Moore said at a news conference Thursday said.
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