Officials said on Sunday that they had removed the first 200-ton section of the fallen bridge in Baltimore, as works began to remove the steel structure that an uncontrollably large ship had damaged from the harbor.
The upper section of the Francis Scott Key Bridge was cut away by demolition workers utilizing blow torches. The bridge collapsed on Tuesday when the Dali cargo ship struck it and lost power, killing six people.
By slicing the bridge into smaller pieces and hauling them out, the authorities hope to assist in the recovery of all the victims’ remains and restore the vital shipping lane.
US Coast Guard spokeswoman Kimberly Reaves stated in a statement, “The first lift was made last night after the cutting of the top portion of one of the northern sections of the Key Bridge was completed.”
She stated, “The piece removed last night was approximately 200 tons,” and claimed it would be transferred to a barge that would be transported to a debris-holding location on land after it was loaded with more pieces.
Following the continuation of salvage operations on Sunday, Maryland Governor Wes Moore stated that “progress is beginning to happen despite the fact that it’s an incredibly complicated situation.”
He claimed that because of bad weather and underwater debris, divers could not help.
According to Moore, CNN, the salvage effort was using a massive crane called the Chesapeake 1,000, which has the capacity to lift 1,000 tons.
The two smaller cranes being utilized for this work include one that weighs 650 tons and the other that weighs 330 tons, according to the multi-agency task group in charge of the operation.
The Hunt for Deceased People
Videos posted on Saturday by the Unified Command, which is the combined response team comprising the US Coast Guard, showed workers in cages slicing through an upper portion of the bridge with sparks flying.
Although Moore acknowledged that the recovery would be a “long road,” “movement is happening.”
Only two of the six bodies that were supposed to be recovered have been found thus far due to the challenging circumstances facing the road workers, who are all immigrants of Latino descent.
One of the busiest ports in the country, Baltimore, has suspended shipping because of the extensive wreckage that has blocked the river.
Prioritizing the recovery of the victims’ corpses over restoring the channel, Moore stated to MSNBC on Sunday.
“The economy of the country is being impacted. It’s the biggest port for brand-new automobiles, huge trucks, and farm machinery. People around the nation are being affected by it, he said.
Due to power issues, the ship drifted toward the bridge. The pilot issued a Mayday call, which allowed for the suspension of some traffic just prior to the impact at 1:30 am, following which the bridge fell in a matter of seconds.
There is no deadline for clearing the harbor and reopening the port, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg stated on CBS’s “Face the Nation” program.
“It takes a lot to make sure that it can be dismantled safely, to make sure that the vessel stays where it is supposed to be and doesn’t swing out into the channel, but it has to be done,” he stated.
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