Army Corps of Engineers to deploy 1,100 personnel to Baltimore

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is sending more than 1,100 personnel to Baltimore, Maryland, after the Francis Scott Key Bridge over the Patapsco River collapsed early Tuesday morning, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) said in a statement.

The Corps’ Baltimore District has activated its emergency operations center, allowing “more than 1,100 engineering, construction, contracting and operations professionals to provide assistance to local, state, and federal agencies” on the way to removing collapsed bridges. The Army announced that it had opened. release.

The Francis Scott Key Bridge, a major bridge in Baltimore, collapsed seconds after it was struck by the Dali, a cargo ship managed by Synergy Marine Group and owned by Singaporean company Grace Ocean Private Limited. .

Six people are now missing and presumed dead after the bridge collapsed, sending several cars and construction workers filling the hole into the cold waters below.

The accident could have a major economic impact on Baltimore, where the port is used to import cars and food and export coal. According to Maryland data, the region has 850,000 passenger car and truck imports on rotation, and about 30,000 vehicles cross the bridge each day.

Vessel access to the port has been suspended until further notice, but the facility remains open to truck traffic.

President Biden on Tuesday pledged to send Baltimore “all the federal resources we need to respond to this emergency” and pledged to “rebuild the port together.”

The Army Corps of Engineers is patrolling the waters of the Port of Baltimore and the Patapsco River for floating debris and debris that could pose a hazard to navigation, using the removal vessel Reynolds to help remove bridge debris from the river. Assist.

The Corps also plans to use the 61-foot survey vessel Catlett to assess the damage.

The Coast Guard, which assisted in search and rescue operations immediately after the collapse, said it would lead the accident investigation and pollution response.