Six people are feared dead after a ship crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in US’ Baltimore on Tuesday causing it to collapse and plunge into water. Authorities have called off rescue operations, presuming that those missing have died in the collision.
The container ship Dali, manned entirely by an Indian crew, momentarily lost power and rammed into the bridge. While all 22 crew were unharmed and accounted for, six repairmen on the bridge have been missing. They were part of a construction crew working on repairing potholes on the bridge when it collapsed around midnight.
“Based on the length of time that we’ve gone in this search, the extensive search efforts that we put into it, the water temperature… at this point we do not believe that we’re going to find any of these individuals still alive,” US Coast Guard Rear Admiral Shannon Gilreath said.
The police said they are now stepping away from search operations and moving on to recovery as the temperatures and currents in the water make it difficult for divers to stay underwater for long.
The Indian Embassy in US condoled the horrific crash and issued a helpline for any Indian citizens affected by the collision. “Our heartfelt condolences to all affected by the unfortunate accident at the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. For any Indian citizens that may be affected/ require assistance, the Embassy of India has created a dedicated hotline: please reach out to us on +1-202-717-1996,” it wrote on X.
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