“We have a long road ahead,” Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said Thursday night as he provided an update on recovery efforts after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse.
Moore joined Democratic U.S. Sens. Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen and Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott at the podium and said “there is nothing we won’t do” to ensure a swift and appropriate conclusion. said.
The Democratic governor expressed gratitude to the Biden administration for greenlighting a request for $60 million in federal aid to jump-start recovery efforts.
Governor Moore said it is essential to clear the straits and open the ports to shipping traffic because “the health of Maryland’s economy and the nation’s economy depends on it.”
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This image released by the National Transportation Safety Board shows NTSB investigators aboard the cargo ship Dali, which crashed and collapsed the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on Wednesday, March 27, 2024. It is reflected. (Peter Knudson/NTSB via AP)
“We need to take care of everyone affected by this crisis. That means workers’ families. That means businesses. That means first responders. That means everyone. I mean that,” Moore said.
Eight construction workers, all from Central America, fell into the sea after the Singapore-flagged container ship Dali crashed into the bridge, causing it to collapse. Two people were rescued after the collapse. Divers recovered the bodies of two others, and the remaining four are presumed dead.
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Moore said the Maryland Department of Labor has set up an unemployment insurance hotline for those whose employment has been affected.
Moore and his team visited the wreckage Wednesday morning to see the devastation up close.
“We’ve had the opportunity to see the wreckage from a distance, but yesterday we had a chance to see it up close,” Moore said.
The Baltimore Orioles’ new ownership group, including (left to right) Mitchell Goldstein, Michael Smith, Michael Arrogetti, and David Rubinstein, along with Maryland Governor Wes Moore and Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott. He participated in the national anthem before the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Oriole Park. Camden Yards. (Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports)
He emphasized the complexity of the operation, noting that the water was so dark and the debris so dense that divers “could only see 1 to 2 feet in front of them.”
“Let me be clear: This work is not going to take hours. This work is not going to take days. This work is not going to take weeks.” “We have a very long road ahead of us.”
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The sudden loss of the highway, which carries 30,000 vehicles a day, and the disruption at the port will not only affect thousands of longshoremen and commuters, but also U.S. consumers who will feel the impact of delivery delays. It will have an impact.
Members of the FBI Evidence Response Team work at the scene of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore on March 26. (FBI Baltimore)
Moore said the Army Corps is moving the largest crane on the East Coast and is expected to arrive Thursday night to help lift debris and debris from the port.
The cargo ship crashed into a pillar supporting a bridge early Tuesday morning after losing power. Synergy Marine Group, which manages the Dali, said the captain and crew are all Indian.
The Dali was heading from Baltimore to Sri Lanka. The ship is owned by Grace Ocean Private Limited, and Danish shipping giant Maersk said it had chartered it.
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The massive ship contained more than 4,000 metal shipping containers, 56 of which contained hazardous materials. Officials said 13 of them were destroyed. Booms were installed to control the spread of oil that had seeped into the water, and state environmental officials also sampled the water Thursday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
