Coast Guard Deputy Commander Peter Gauthier said Wednesday that the cargo ship that caused the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore was loaded with dozens of containers containing hazardous materials.
Gauthier told a White House press briefing that 56 of the 4,700 containers on board the Dali contained hazardous materials, but that there was currently “no threat to the public.”
“Most of those containers are close to the cockpit and are not affected by the damage to the bow in any way,” he said. “And we have not decided whether there will be any release at this time.”
“What’s really important here is, you know, there’s a portion of the bridge left on the bow of that ship, and we’re working very closely with the Army Corps of Engineers and their contractors to We will first remove that debris before the container is removed,” Gauthier added. “The bow is sitting on the bottom under the weight of bridge debris.”
Live Updates: Baltimore Bridge Collapse and Recovery Mission
Six construction workers are estimated to have died after the Baltimore Bridge collapse. (AP/Steve Helber)
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told reporters that the Coast Guard will work with the Army Corps of Engineers to lead the effort to clean up the Patapsco River so the Port of Baltimore can return to full capacity.
“Rebuilding will not be quick, easy or cheap, but we will get it done,” he said.
Vehicle pulled from water after Baltimore bridge collapses
A view of the Dali cargo ship that crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing it to collapse on Tuesday, March 26, in Baltimore, Maryland. (Reuters/Julia Nickinson)
“What we do know is that bridges like this one, completed in the 1970s, were not built to withstand a direct impact on a critical support pier by a vessel weighing approximately 200 million pounds. It was in use in that area when the bridge was first built,” Buttigieg said.
Recovery efforts were underway on Wednesday to recover the bodies of six construction workers who were still missing and presumed dead after Tuesday’s collapse.
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg speaks as deputy commander of U.S. Coast Guard Operations Lt. Gen. Peter Gauthier and White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre attend a press conference the day after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapses in Baltimore.The White House in Washington DC (Reuters/Elizabeth Franz)
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“This is going to be a long and difficult road,” Buttigieg said Thursday. “But we’re going to rally around Baltimore and rebuild together.”
