Baltimore Key Bridge collapse: Temporary channel opens for boats working on bridge response
The cargo ship struck Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge early Tuesday.
A cargo ship crashed into Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge early Tuesday morning, causing a near-total collapse of the span and halting vessel traffic into and out of the Port of Baltimore.
Six construction workers are believed to have fallen from the collapsing bridge into the frigid waters of the Patapsco River below. The bodies of two of the victims have been recovered so far, while four remain missing and are presumed dead, officials said.
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What to know about the collapse
The container ship Dali struck Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge at about 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, partially collapsing the bridge, officials in Maryland said.
A local pilot was at the helm of the ship at the time, Maryland Department of Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld said.
The crash appeared to be accidental, not intentional, officials said.
Two construction workers were rescued and six went missing in the immediate aftermath of the collapse, officials said. The bodies of two of the victims were recovered from the water on Wednesday amid ongoing search and recovery efforts, while four remain missing and are presumed dead, officials said.
Ship's force 'almost unimaginable,' Secretary Buttigieg says
The force with which a cargo ship hit Baltimore's Key Bridge on Tuesday was "just unimaginable," Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Wednesday.
"What I do know is that the force of this ship is almost unimaginable," Buttigieg said on "Good Morning America." "This is a vessel that was about 100,000 tons carrying its load. So 200 million lbs. went into this bridge all at once, which is why you had that almost-instant catastrophic result."
As the U.S. works to update bridges around the country, each new generation of bridges is "more resilient than the last," Buttigieg said.
"We are at work to make sure our infrastructure for the future is better prepared for any kind of threat," he said. "Really what we saw yesterday was just unimaginable in terms of the proportion of that ship."
Buttigieg had arrived at the scene in Baltimore on Tuesday, saying at the time that the DOT's Maritime Administration would assist with disrupted port, harbor and supply chain operations.
The DOT's Federal Highway Administration will assist with the bridge, he said Tuesday.
He said his "first thoughts" were with the missing construction workers and their families.
"Now they are dealing with news that's just unthinkable," he said on "GMA."
Workers from Guatemala, El Salvador among missing
Construction workers originally from Guatemala and El Salvador are among the six missing after the Key Bridge collapsed in Baltimore, foreign officials and local aid group said.
The two from Guatemala who are missing are a 26-year-old from San Luis, Petén, and a 35-year-old from Camotán, Chiquimula, the country's foreign ministry said in a statement. Their names were not released.
Another missing worker was identified as Miguel Luna, who is originally from El Salvador, according to Court Appointed Special Advocates, a group that works with immigrants.
"Miguel Luna, from El Salvador, left at 6:30 p.m. Monday evening for work and since, has not come home," the organization said in a press release. "He is a husband, a father of three, and has called Maryland his home for over 19 years."
-ABC News’ Victoria Arancio and Kevin Shalvey
Search and rescue efforts to be suspended, move to recovery operation: USCG
The Coast Guard said it is suspending the search and rescue efforts as of 7:30 p.m. Tuesday for the six missing individuals after the bridge collapse.
"Based on the length of time that we've gone in the 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," Rear Admiral Shannon Gilreath told reporters.
The conditions in the water, including low water temperatures and unpredictable currents, have made it dangerous for first responders, authorities said.
Authorities said they plan to conduct recovery efforts starting at 6 a.m. on Wednesday.
"We're hoping to put divers in the water and begin a more detailed search to do our very best to recover those six missing people," Col. Roland Butler with the Maryland State Police said.
Carnival temporarily moving Baltimore operations to Norfolk
Carnival is temporarily moving its Baltimore operations to Norfolk, Virginia, amid the rescue and remediation efforts following the bridge collapse, the cruise line said Tuesday.
"Our thoughts remain with the impacted families and first responders in Baltimore," Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line, said in a statement. "We appreciate the pledge made by President Biden today to dedicate all available resources to reopen Baltimore Harbor to marine traffic as soon as possible. As those plans are finalized, we will update our future cruise guests on when we will return home to Baltimore, but in the meantime, we appreciate the quick response and support from officials in Norfolk."
The move impacts the Carnival Legend ship, which is scheduled to return from its current voyage on Sunday, the company said. The cruise will return to Norfolk with free bus service back to Baltimore, Carnival said.