Bridge collapse in Baltimore: This is what we know about the accident

Bridge collapse in Baltimore: This is what we know about the accident

BALTIMORE, USA.- A few hours after the Dali freighter crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in the city of Baltimoreunknowns persist about what happened in the early hours of this Tuesday, on one of the busiest bridges in the state of Maryland.

At least six people remain missingtwo have been rescued and rescue teams are working against the clock in search of possible survivors of a tragedy that could add more victims.

The port of Baltimore, one of the largest and busiest on the planet, was closed until further notice, but loading and unloading trucks remain operational.

What is known about the accident on the Baltimore bridge?

The accident took place around 1:30 a.m. (local time), when the freighter Dali collided with that bridge in Baltimore built in 1977 and caused it to collapse.

The Secretary of Transportation of Maryland, Paul Wiedefeld, indicated to the press that the low temperature of the water, its depth, about 15 meters, and the darkness when the event occurred made rescue work difficult.

Maryland Governor Wes Moore declared the state of emergency due to the collapsewhich blocked parts of the I-95 route, the most important route in the eastern United States.

The container ship warned, shortly before the impact, that it was suffering from technical problems, a warning signal that allowed the authorities in the area to cut off car traffic on the river and that there were only eight vehicles on the structure when it collapsed. .

The Dali ship began to turn two minutes before the impact occurred against the pillar that would ultimately bring down the entire bridge, according to data verified by the network. cnn. The authorities have ruled out any other hypothesis other than that of the accident, including terrorism.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singaporethe country under whose flag the Dali was sailing, has assured in a statement that the company Synergie Marine informed them that, before the impact, the ship “had suffered a momentary loss of propulsion”, a thesis that fits with the version provided by the authorities. US.

“As a result (of these problems), it was unable to maintain the desired course and collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge,” explained the Singapore agency, which also indicated that the Dali was able to release the anchor before the final crash.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) assured this Monday at a press conference that the collapse of the Francis Scott Key bridge in Baltimore after the impact of a cargo ship There are no signs of a terrorist attack.

“The FBI is examining and evaluating this matter from an investigative standpoint. “I want to be clear that there is no specific or credible information that suggests there are links to terrorism in this incident,” said Special Agent Bill Delbagno.

The governor of Maryland highlighted that the freighter issued a “mayday” and reported problems with electricity before hitting the bridge and causing its partial collapse.

Mexico regrets the accident in Baltimore

Mexican ambassador Esteban Moctezuma expressed a message of solidarity with the people of Baltimore, after the accident on the Maryland bridge.

“Our solidarity goes out to all those affected by this devastating accident,” he said on his X account, formerly Twitter.

Moctezuma also sent a message to the Mexican community living in the area and shared data in case they needed assistance.