A large cargo ship hit Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge and caused the bridge to collapse, leaving six workers missing and presumed dead, authorities said.
U.S. Coast Guard and Maryland State Police officials said the chances of the six missing people being found alive were slim based on the freezing water temperatures and the amount of time that had passed since the bridge collapsed.
Maryland State Police Superintendent Col. Roland Butler said the search-and-rescue mission was transforming into a search-and-rescue mission.
He added that divers would return to the site at 6 a.m. on Wednesday, with conditions expected to improve overnight.
The Singapore-flagged container ship is named DaliAt around 1:30 a.m. local time (0530 GMT), a plane departing from the port for Sri Lanka crashed into the support towers of the Francis Scott Key Bridge at the mouth of the Patapsco River.
A distress call sent by crews during a power outage allowed authorities to stop more cars from driving onto the bridge minutes before it collapsed.
“These people are heroes and they saved lives,” Maryland Governor Wes Moore said.
Rescuers brought two survivors to safety, one of whom was hospitalized. But authorities said active search and rescue operations were suspended about 18 hours after the tragedy.
Officials earlier said the eight people were part of a crew filling potholes in the bridge’s pavement when the accident occurred.
Officials said there was no evidence of foul play.
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