‘Mass Casualty’: 6 Presumed Dead In Baltimore Bridge Collapse

6 presumed dead in Baltimore bridge collapse after the United States Coast Guard revealed on the evening of Tuesday on the halt in search for the 6 construction workers that went missing at the time of the collapse.

Earlier, GlobalCurrent24.com, shared the unfortunate event that occurred in US after the Dali ship struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge on Tuesday morning. Authorities and the local police were able to rescue two of the construction workers out of the 8, hence, 6 presumed dead in the Baltimore bridge collapse.

The decision to call off the rescue mission was as a result of the spike in the temperature of the water, which rose from 6-10 degrees to 46-48 degrees. The rise in temperature led to the unclear view of the water and the intense change in its current.

Coast Guard Rear Admiral Shannon N. Gilreath revealed in a press conference that as at 7:30 pm on Tuesday evening, the authorities are suspending all their active search for the construction workers affected by the unfortunate incident.

On Tuesday close to 1:30 am New York time, the Dali ship, Singapore-based collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge while on its way from the Baltimore Port. The bridge collapsed in seconds upon the collision with the Dali ship. According to authorities, the ship crew alerted an imminent collision after they sent out a signal of distress, also known as ‘mayday’. This signal was sent moments before the collision.

Before the collapse of the bridge, numerous vehicles were seen on the bridge, but authorities were able to alert them quickly, hence, no vehicle was severely impacted by the collapse. According to Paul Wiedefeld, the Maryland Transportation Secretary, there were many construction workers on the bridge at the time of collapse. Among these worker, only two have been rescued; one in critical condition and the other, totally uninjured.

According to the head of the National Transportation Safety Board, Jennifer Homendy, the Safety board will begin intense investigations towards the collapse of the bridge, hence further information regarding the incident could be sourced from the local police and authorities. A top US official disclosed that, the crew of the ship lost control of the vessel which led to the collision and the collapse of the bridge.

The employer of the construction workers, Brawner Builders, revealed that, 6 of them have been presumed dead after authorities called-off the rescue search. One of the rescued workers, Michael Schwartzberg, was treated at the trauma center at the University of Maryland. According to the spokesperson of the facility, Mr. Michael refused to disclose any information.

The Chief for the Trauma Center at the University of Maryland, disclosed that, a victim falling from the 185 feet bridge into the water around 48 degrees could face potential death due to the un-friendly temperature. A state of emergency was declared from the Mayor of Baltimore, Brandon Scott, to curb the situation on Tuesday morning.

According to the Guatemalan Foreign Ministry, two Guatemalan citizens are among the 6 presumed dead workers who were on the bridge at the time of the incident. The families of these two men have been informed of the unfortunate incident.

READ ALSO: Baltimore Key Bridge Collapses After Major Hit By A Ship