Six construction workers presumed dead in Baltimore bridge collapse as search called off

March 26 (UPI) -- Six missing construction workers are presumed dead as the Coast Guard announced Tuesday evening it was calling off its search and turning to a recovery, following the catastrophic collapse of the busy Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.

"At this point, we do not believe we are going to find any of these individuals still alive," Rear Adm. Shannon Gilreath told reporters, confirming that the length of time the workers have been missing, combined with the cold temperature of the water, made rescue unlikely.

The six workers were filling potholes on the bridge early Tuesday morning, when a Singapore-based cargo ship issued a mayday, with reports saying the vessel had lost power. The ship crashed into a support column of the bridge, sending a large part of the span and eight workers into the waters below.

Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul Widefield confirmed during an earlier press conference that eight people were on the bridge when it collapsed. Baltimore City Fire Department Chief James Wallace said two people had been rescued, with one of them in serious condition.

Widefield said all six of those now presumed dead were part of a construction crew working on the bridge at the time of the collapse.

Video of the incident published online by the Harford County Volunteer Fire and EMS showed the Singapore-based cargo ship Dali, which was leaving Baltimore for Sri Lanka, striking the 1.6-mile-long, four-lane-wide Francis Scott Key Bridge. A fire is then ignited followed by spans of the structure falling into the waters below.

The National Transportation Safety Board arrived on the scene at 6 a.m. EDT. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy updated reporters on their investigation into the crash and collapse of the bridge. She called it an "accident" and said it is still too early to confirm reports that the collision was due to a power failure aboard the Singapore-based ship. During her briefing, Homendy would not confirm any fatalities.

"A search and rescue is still underway," Homendy said earlier Tuesday, adding that the NTSB had convened a team of 24 experts. "We are standing back to allow the Coast Guard and search and rescue to continue their operations while we gather information from the command post."

President Joe Biden also addressed the bridge collapse earlier Tuesday and promised "all the federal resources" to rebuild the span.

"My Transportation secretary is there now," Biden said. "I've directed my team to move heaven and earth to reopen the port and rebuild the bridge as soon as humanly possible."

"It's my intention that federal government will pay for the entire cost of reconstructing the bridge and I expect to -- the Congress to support my effort," Biden said. "This is going to take some time, but the people of Baltimore can count on us though to stick with them at every step of the way until the port is reopened and the bridge is rebuilt."

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, who has declared a state of emergency, told reporters that the 47-year-old bridge was up to code and that its collapse is "shocking and heartbreaking." Moore called crews, who were working on the bridge at the time of the collapse, "heroes" for warning drivers away from the bridge.

Moore said the ship's crew issued a "mayday" before crashing into the bridge as they confirmed the ship lost power, noting the warning prevented traffic from flowing onto the bridge.

"We're thankful that between the mayday and the collapse, that we had officials who were able to begin to stop the flow of traffic so more cars were not on the bridge," Moore said.

"My office is in close communication with U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski and the Baltimore Fire Department as emergency personnel are on the scene," Moore said in a statement.

Buttigieg met with first responders at the scene and offered the assistance of the Transportation Department. He urged local drivers to follow guidance on detours and other changes in traffic.

"Grateful to the first responders who've been on scene at the Francis Scott Key Bridge," Buttigieg wrote Tuesday in a post on X.

U.S. automakers and other shipping companies announced Tuesday that they would reroute their cargo and shipping routes until the port reopens. The Maryland Port Administration says Baltimore is the top port for vehicle shipments in the United States and one of the busiest ports in the world.

"Our thoughts are with those who were affected and the Baltimore community. We expect the situation to have minimal impact to our operations. We are working to re-route any vehicle shipments to other ports," General Motors said in a statement.

According to the American Trucking Association, nearly 4,900 trucks cross the Francis Scott Key Bridge every day. Reroutes are expected to cause shipping delays, spokesperson Jessica Gail told The Hill.

"This will add significant cost in time, fuel and delays for trucks traveling through the region," Gail added.

The disruption to the I-695 southeast corridor was already impacting Baltimore sports Tuesday, as the Orioles announced it would cancel several events.

"In light of today's tragedy, tonight's open workout and rally for fans is canceled. Our thoughts are with Baltimore," the team wrote in a post on X.

Early Tuesday morning, The Coast Guard said it had received a report of the incident shortly before 1:30 a.m.

"#USCG responding to Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore," the U.S. Coast Guard Mid-Atlantic division said on X. "Multiple response units deployed."

The Maryland Transportation Authority confirmed the collision on X, urging the public to avoid the I-695 southeast corridor.

"I-695 Key Bridge collapse due to ship strike," it said. "Active scene."

Maryland's Governor said during an earlier news conference Tuesday that a preliminary investigation pointed to the cause of the crash being "an accident."

"We haven't seen any credible evidence of a terrorist attack," Moore said.

Widefield said that the crew working on the bridge at the time of the collapse was repairing potholes.

"That had nothing to do with a structural issue," he said.

Danish shipping company Maersk on Tuesday confirmed it chartered the ship that was carrying its cargo and operated by vessel company Synergy Group.

"No Maersk crew and personnel were onboard the vessel. We are closely following the investigations conducted by authorities and Synergy and we will do our utmost to keep our customers informed," Maersk said.

"We are horrified by what has happened in Baltimore, and our thoughts are with all of those affected."

The bridge first opened in March 1977 and is named after Francis Scott Key who is said to have written the lyrics to the "Star Spangled Banner" after being inspired by the Patapsco River, according to the Maryland Transportation Authority.