Cleanup begins after US bridge collapse

On the evening of March 28 (local time), Maryland Governor Wes Moore said that the Army Corps of Engineers was moving the largest crane on the East Coast to Baltimore to assist in disaster response. It is expected that US authorities will have to cut the bridge into pieces of suitable size, so that the crane system can then lift and remove the pieces from the Patapsco River, where the bridge fell and blocked the entrance to Baltimore Harbor.

The disaster could result in the largest marine insurance payout ever, according to Bruce Carnegie-Brown, head of insurance giant Lloyd's of Britain. The closure of the port is also a concern for the local economy, with 140,000 jobs supported by the port.

President Joe Biden has proposed spending federal money to restore the Francis Scott Key Bridge, but Congress has said it is the state's responsibility.

Almost the entire steel structure of the Francis Scott Key Bridge - which tens of thousands of motorists cross every day - collapsed in seconds after the Singapore-flagged container ship Dali crashed into a support pillar of the bridge early on March 26. A team of repair workers was working there at the time of the disaster. Two people survived and six are missing. Rescuers have so far recovered the bodies of two victims. The search for the remaining four has been temporarily suspended due to the dark waters of the river, reducing visibility for diving teams.

At nearly 2 miles long, the Francis Scott Key Bridge is the longest bridge in the Baltimore metropolitan area and one of the busiest arteries in the United States. The bridge opened in March 1977. Approximately 11.5 million vehicles travel across the bridge each year.