The bodies of two more workers have been recovered following the collapse of the Baltimore bridge. Divers engaged in rescue operations have recovered the remains of two of the workers from the mouth of the Patapsco River, a day after a large container ship lost power and collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
Maryland State Police Colonel Roland Butler told Reuters a red pickup truck containing the bodies of the two men was found in about 25 feet (7.62 metres) of water near the mid-section of the fallen bridge. He said that the authorities have suspended efforts to locate and retrieve more bodies because of the increasing treacherous conditions in the river. Butler added that sonar images showed additional submerged vehicles "encased" in fallen bridge debris and the ship has made it extremely difficult to reach.
The deceased were identified as Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, 35, of Baltimore, a native of Mexico, and Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, 26, of nearby Dundalk, originally from Guatemala.
The four workers who were part of the crew responsible for filling potholes on the bridge's road surface are still missing and presumed deceased. Among the six workers involved in the incident were immigrants from Honduras and El Salvador, according to officials. The eight people were on a work crew filling potholes on the bridge's road surface when the accident occurred. Rescuers brought two survivors to safety, one of whom was hospitalised.
The Singapore-flagged container ship 'Dali' had reported a power outage before impact. The traffic was stopped on the bridge before it collapsed because the crew informed the authorities about the ship. The collision caused the bridge to snap and plunge into the river below. According to the Associated Press, as the ship neared the bridge, there were puffs of black smoke that could be seen as the lights flickered on and off.