6 presumed dead in Baltimore bridge collapse as Coast Guard begins ‘recovery’ effort 

The six people missing in the collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge are presumed dead, the Coast Guard announced Tuesday evening, ending an 18-hour search and rescue operation.

Maj. Gen. Shannon Gilreath said at a news conference Tuesday night that the missing people were likely dead due to the frigid water temperatures and ocean conditions.

“We do not believe that we will ever find these individuals still alive,” he said.

The approximately 1.6-mile bridge connecting Interstate 695 collapsed around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday after the container ship MV Dali struck one of its main supports. The entire main span and three adjacent spans fell into the Patapsco River.

The six missing people are all road maintenance workers and are believed to have been repairing holes on the bridge at the time of the collapse. Two other people were rescued from the water, one with no injuries and the other with serious injuries, Baltimore Fire Chief James Wallace said.

The Coast Guard also called off search operations in the evening and promised to begin a “recovery” phase on Wednesday.

The collapse has wreaked havoc on logistics on the East Coast, shutting down the busy Port of Baltimore and Interstate 695. Shippers were already scrambling Tuesday to move cargo to nearby ports, including in Virginia.

President Biden said the federal government would “move heaven and earth” to rebuild bridges and keep longshoremen employed, but construction estimates range from several months to up to a year. .