Baltimore, USA:
Officials say complex debris removal work on the Baltimore Bridge, which collapsed badly this week, will begin Saturday with the removal of the first section.
The collapse killed six people and blocked traffic at the busy US port.
“This is the first of many, many, many steps to come,” Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul Widfield said at a news conference. “But this is a huge milestone as we begin this process.”
Coast Guard Rear Adm. Shannon Gilreath said a large floating crane capable of lifting more than 100 tons will move a collapsed section of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. He gave no details about its dimensions.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said the part was not one of the parts that weighed down the massive container ship the Daly, which lost power and hit a bridge column on Tuesday, triggering a shockingly rapid collapse.
Moore said it “will take a few days,” but the team will eventually “open a temporarily restricted channel” to allow more tugboats, barges and other vessels into the area to speed up the cleanup.
Shipping traffic is currently at a standstill, affecting thousands of shippers, port workers and others, while thousands of people who normally use the bridge every day have to find alternative routes.
Removing the bridge’s twisted steel remnants and liberating Dali is a top priority for local authorities, who say a bridge collapse could have a major impact on the local economy for years.
“At least 8,000 workers on the pier have their jobs directly affected by this collapse,” Moore said.
The governor began his news conference by paying tribute to the six road workers, all Latino immigrants, who died when the bridge plunged into the deep waters of the Patapsco River.
Two bodies have been recovered and four others have been declared missing and presumed dead.
Rescue efforts have been suspended, with authorities saying the cold, dark water filled with jagged pieces of steel and concrete is now too dangerous for divers.
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