NEW video shows the Francis Scott Key Bridge in pieces with mangled segments sticking out of the water after a ship slammed into it on Tuesday, causing a deadly collapse.
The devastating scene was captured in aerial footage as the US Coast Guard halted its search and rescue mission for six people who fell into the river during the tragedy.
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The National Transportation Safety Board released new footage of the collapsed bridge on YouTube.
It showed the shocking scope of the scene as pieces of the 1.6-mile bridge lay on top of the ship that slammed into it early Tuesday.
The MV Dali, a Singapore-registered container ship, reported losing power before it smashed into one of the bridge’s columns.
The pilot desperately tried to slow the ship down before impact, the head of the American Pilots’ Association said.
BALTIMORE BRIDGE COLLAPSE
The crew fought to keep the vessel from turning right and ordered a port anchor to be dropped as the pilot asked dispatchers to shut down the bridge.
Our focus now is recovering the victims, so their loved ones get the closure they deserve. My heart is with those families tonight and in the days ahead.”
Mayor Brandon Scott
Authorities were able to halt cars from driving over the bridge thanks to the ship’s distress call but six workers fixing potholes on the bridge plunged into the water and are now presumed dead.
The collapse has led to a flurry of questions about the cause of the tragedy and how it could’ve been prevented.
Many people online have taken aim at US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, mocking him for his past comments on infrastructure.
He took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share a statement about the collapse in Baltimore, Maryland.
“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,” Buttigieg wrote.
“Rescue efforts remain underway and drivers in the Baltimore area should follow local responder guidance on detours and response.”
BUTTIGIEG BLASTED
While some thanked him for his words, others flooded Buttigieg’s X posts with criticism.
“Any determination if racism played a role in this situation,” wrote one person, referencing Buttigieg’s past comments on US infrastructure.
Buttigieg made headlines in 2021 when he was asked about a bipartisan bill that had been passed by Congress.
He was questioned on his plans to “deconstruct the racism that was built into the roadways” after previously saying that racism was “physically built” into highways.
“I’m still surprised that some people were surprised when I pointed to the fact that if a highway was built for the purpose of dividing a white and a black neighborhood, or if an underpass was constructed such that a bus carrying mostly black and Puerto Rican kids to a beach — or that would have been — in New York was designed too low for it to pass by, that obviously reflects racism that went into those design choices,” he said at the time.
“I don’t think we have anything to lose by confronting that simple reality,” he added. “And I think we have everything to gain by acknowledging it and then dealing with it, which is why the Reconnecting Communities — that billion dollars — is something we want to get to work right away putting to work.”
Dozens of other X users mocked Buttigieg on Tuesday over his previous remarks.
Policy analyst Aaron Reichlin-Melnick shed light on Buttigieg’s comments at the time, saying, “Wild to me how many people laughing at Buttigieg in the replies think he’s making this up and apparently have never heard of Robert Moses.
“It’s literally one of the most famous examples of deliberately racist highway designs!”
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‘UNTHINKABLE TRAGEDY’
A rescue mission was launched after the crash as search teams worked to find the six workers who fell from the bridge.
Cars also plunged into the Patapsco River as a result of the wreck and officials declared the scene a Level 1 mass casualty event.
Baltimore City Fire Department Chief James Wallace told the media that in addition to the six missing, two people had been removed from the water alive.
After a day-long search, the US Coast Guard transitioned its rescue efforts to a recovery mission late Tuesday and announced that it would continue looking for the six workers’ bodies on Wednesday morning.
Divers are expected to return to the site at 6 am when conditions in the area improve.
As the public and families of the victims await answers on why the ship lost power, Mayor Brandon Scott addressed the “unthinkable” tragedy.
“Never would you think that you would see, physically see, the Key Bridge tumble down like that,” he said.
“It looked like something out of an action movie.”
His office released a statement late Tuesday, writing, “What happened at our port is a tragedy that no one could ever imagine.
“Our focus now is recovering the victims, so their loved ones get the closure they deserve.
“My heart is with those families tonight and in the days ahead.”
The Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse
The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, collapsed after a cargo ship bound for Asia smashed into one of its support pillars. Here is what we know so far:
- Search and rescue operations launched
- Six people are missing after falling into the water
- One rushed to the hospital in serious condition
- Sonar technology found cars in the water
- Baltimore mayor compares the scene to an action movie
- Cops do not suspect any terror links
- Cargo ship appears to have suffered power outages before the collision
- White House on hand to offer federal assistance
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