Mayhem after container ship collides with bridge in Baltimore

BALTIMORE, Maryland (ANI/Big News Network) - The search for 6 construction workers who went missing when a container ship collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Maryland's Baltimore has been called off.

Due to the freezing temperatures, search authorities concluded the six men could no longer be alive. "At this point, we do not believe we are going to find any of the individuals still alive," Rear Admiral Shannon Gilreath of the U.S. Coast Guard told a news conference just after sunset Tuesday night.

Col. Roland Butler of Maryland State Police said divers will be back in the water at first light Wednesday in a search for the bodies of the men, all believed to be migrant workers employed by 44-year-old local construction company Brawner Builders. The company was engaged in work on the bridge at the time of the collision. Eight workers ended up in the water and 2 were rescued.

Following the collapse of Francis Scott Key Bridge, Maryland governor Wes Moore declared a state of emergency on Tuesday.

"We are thankful for the brave men and women who are carrying out efforts to rescue those involved and pray for everyone's safety," the governor's statement said earlier in the day.

The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed early Tuesday morning after it was struck by a large container ship. The ship's crew issued a "Mayday" call before it collided with the bridge, Maryland Gov. Moore said. They also dropped their anchor in a bid to either stop or slow theire progress towards the bridge.

The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) responded to the Francis Scott Key Bridge emergency after receiving a report that a container ship hit it at 1:27 a.m. ET "and it subsequently collapsed," according to public affairs officer, Kimberly Reaves of the Coast Guard's 5th District.

Officer Reaves also said that there were reports of vehicles in the water and the Coast Guard had deployed "multiple" response units for a search and rescue mission.

"Coast Guard units on scene include small boats from Station Annapolis and Station Curtis Bay and a helicopter from Air Station Atlantic City," the statement read.

Reaves said that multiple state and local agencies were assisting. Six people were reported missing.

Baltimore Fire Department Chief James Wallace said searchers rescued two people from the water Tuesday morning, one without injury and the other who had been transferred to hospital in a serious condition.

"We are still very much in an active search and rescue posture at this point," Wallace said.

Wallace added that the crew remains on board the ship, and is communicating with the U.S. Coast Guard. He added that emergency services are looking into reports that there were workers on the bridge at the time of the incident.

CNN reported citing public affairs officer Kimberly Reaves of the U.S. Coast Guard's 5th District that the vessel that hit Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge was a container ship, the DALI. "The 948-foot container ship Dali, hit the Francis Scott Key bridge" at 1:27 a.m. ET "and it subsequently collapsed," Reaves said in a statement.

Later Tuesday the Mayor of Baltimore Brandon Scott issued a local state of emergency.

Maritime tracking website MarineTraffic showed that the Singapore-flagged ship stopped in Baltimore, where it was departing with a destination of Colombo, Sri Lanka. The website showed the ship stopped around 1:30 a.m. ET and was surrounded by first response boats.

The ship is around 300 meters (984 feet) long with a width of around 48 meters (157 feet), according to MarineTraffic data.

The ship was chartered by Maersk and carrying their customers' cargo, the Danish shipping company told CNN.

"The ship management company, Synergy Marine Pte Ltd, reported to the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) that just prior to the incident, the vessel, Dali had experienced momentary loss of propulsion," a statement from MPA issued Tuesday said. "As a result, it was unable to maintain the desired heading and collided with the Francis Scott Key bridge."

The White House is monitoring the tragedy with U.S. President Joe Biden expected to address the bridge collapse while visiting Raleigh, North Carolina with Vice President Kamala Harris later Tuesday. "This morning, I convened senior members of my team for a briefing on the collapse of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge. I've directed my Administration to ensure every federal resource is available to assist search and rescue efforts and response to this terrible incident," the president said in a post on X earlier Tuesday.

"I've spoken with Gov. Moore and Mayor Scott to offer USDOT's support following the vessel strike and collapse of the Francis Scott Key bridge. Rescue efforts remain underway and drivers in the Baltimore area should follow local responder guidance on detours and response," U.S. Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Tuesday.

(ANI/Big News Network)