Business

Baltimore bridge collapse: Divers find two bodies in submerged truck

Published

2 years ago

2024/03/28

Priyan

The bodies of two people have been recovered from a red pickup truck, which was under water where the Baltimore bridge collapsed.

Eight construction workers were on the bridge when a ship struck it, plunging them into the waters below. Two of the workers were rescued on the day, but the search continues for the other four – all presumed dead.

Salvage crews are working to address hazardous materials and accident investigators are on the scene.

Four of the six victims of the bridge collapse have been named so far. At a press conference on Wednesday, Maryland State Police identified Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, 35, and Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, 26, as the two workers recovered by divers from inside the truck. Mr Fuentes is originally from Mexico and Mr Cabrera is from Guatemala.

But divers are no longer able to safely navigate the waters because of concrete and debris found in the river, police said. They are now using sonar scans and believe that vehicles that may contain other bodies are “encased in superstructure and concrete” that came down from the bridge, an official said.

Two other missing victims, who are presumed dead, have also been named: Miguel Luna, originally from El Salvador, and Maynor Suazo Sandoval, a Honduran citizen.

Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said earlier that two of its citizens were presumed dead – one of whom is now identified as Mr Fuentes – while another was rescued from the water.

One person who was in hospital after being pulled out of the water was released, officials said late Wednesday.

First responders spent hours on Tuesday searching the waters of the Patapsco River for the six construction workers, who were working on potholes on the bridge around 01:30 (05:30 GMT) when the ship crashed into the bridge. The US Coast Guard called off the search around sunset, saying cold water temperatures and hours gone by meant the workers were presumed dead.

Officials have pledged to find the bodies of the men for their relatives. “We’ve got to give these families closure,” Wes Moore, governor of Maryland, told reporters on Wednesday, adding that air, land and water resources had been devoted to the search of the victims. “My promise to them is this: I will devote every single resource to make sure that you receive closure,” he said.

But the operation has been challenging, Coast Guard Vice Admiral Peter Gautier said on Wednesday. Divers have been swimming in chilly waters with metal debris from the bridge that fell in the river. The cargo vessel itself is stable but has over 1.5m gallons of fuel oil and lube oil on board, Mr Gautier said.

Roughly 4,700 cargo containers were also on board, including 56 that contained hazardous materials. “The Coast Guard has moved aggressively to board the vessel, and we have teams on board,” Mr Gautier said.

Jennifer Homendy, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, said some containers with hazardous materials had been “breached”.

The US Navy plans to use barges with heavy lift cranes – some can carry as much as 1,000 tonnes – to remove parts of the bridge that fell in the water.

Investigations into what went wrong on the ship will be crucial, marine specialist Jim Bellingham told the BBC. “An enormous advantage is that the ship didn’t sink so they’ll get access to bridge records and hopefully recordings of what was going on,” he said. Officials are hoping that a data recorder they took from the ship overnight will provide more information.

The Dali was headed toward Sri Lanka when it lost power all of a sudden and issued a distress call before crashing into the Baltimore bridge.

Officials say the bridge collapse at a key port could pose a risk to global supply chains and the US economy.

Mr Moore said that 8,000 jobs could be affected by the bridge collapse and called the incident a “global crisis”. “The national economy and global economy depends on the port,” he said, noting that $80bn (£63.4bn) of cargo moved through there last year.

Paul Wiedefeld, Secretary of the Maryland Department of Transportation, stressed that replacing the bridge will not be a fast process, but he promised at Wednesday’s press conference that officials are working to “come up with a design for the replacement of that bridge as quickly as possible to get the port back up and the community back up and running”.

Experts say Key Bridge’s collapse could lead to losses of up to $15m (£11.8m) per day, until the shipping lane is reopened.

US Senator Ben Cardin of Maryland said he was confident “thanks to the Biden administration” the state would get the necessary resources to recover and begin work on a replacement bridge. “Our top priority is to get the shipping lane open because of the impact it has on our country and the global supply chain,” he said.

Investigators are also hoping to determine whether dirty fuel played a role in the deadly crash. Maritime experts say contaminated fuel can cause a ship to black out as it creates problems with the vessel’s main power generators.

(BBC)

All News Advertisement

Up Next

HSBC Ceylon Literary & Art Festival collaborates with Dilmah Ceylon Tea to launch Youth Future Writers Program

Don't Miss

European Chamber Report: Diversity, equity and inclusion crucial for Sri Lanka’s socio-economic development

Click to comment

Business

Private taxi operators at BIA call for speedy rental relief as tourist arrivals dwindle

Published

7 hours ago

2026/05/20

Sahan Weerasooriya

Tourists in SL: Dwindling numbers

Private taxi operators at Bandaranaike International Airport are calling for urgent rental relief, stating that they are struggling to sustain operations after paying nearly Rs. 19 million in monthly rental fees amid a sharp decline in tourist arrivals during the off-season.

The operators said tourist arrivals have dropped by nearly 80%, severely affecting their income and making it difficult to continue meeting high operational costs.

“Only a small number of tourists are now arriving at the airport, and a majority of them are being taken by metered taxi operators, who pay only around Rs. 700 per ride as fees to Airport and Aviation Services, an operator said.

According to the operators, the six long-standing private taxi service providers at the airport each pay monthly rentals ranging from approximately Rs. 2.9 million to Rs. 4 million. In addition, they are required to maintain a minimum a fleet of six vehicles along with dedicated airport staff.

“What we are requesting is a temporary reduction in monthly rental payments for around three to four months until tourist arrivals improve and the industry returns to normal, they said.

The operators noted that they have been operating at the airport for more than two decades, providing transport services to both local and international travelers, while metered taxi services entered the airport transport sector only about two years ago.

They also alleged that metered taxi operators have been granted more favourable operating conditions and questioned the process through which those operators were allowed to operate at the airport.

Operators argue that the present financial burden has become unsustainable, given the sharp drop in business volumes and what they describe as an uneven competitive environment within the airport transport system.

“What we are requesting is a 50% reduction in monthly rental fees for a period of at least three months, they said.

They also raised concerns about the quality and condition of some vehicles operated by metered taxi providers.

“Passengers are often unaware of the condition of some of these vehicles until they enter them, which can compromise safety standards, one operator claimed.

In contrast, the private airport taxi operators say they maintain newer vehicles and employ experienced, professionally trained drivers to ensure higher standards of passenger safety and service quality.

The operators warned that failure to address the issue could have wider economic and social consequences. The six service providers collectively employ around 250 staff, and continued financial pressure may lead to job losses and a reduction in organised airport transport services.

By Hiran H Senewiratne

Business

Refurbished AAC Call Box declared open

Published

7 hours ago

2026/05/20

Sahan Weerasooriya

The operation of Automobile Association of Ceylon(AAC) Call Boxes, in the past had provided yeoman service to many motorists including during the era of British planters. AAC services for members are a motoring security when they travel.

The Call Box in Nuwara Eliya was recently refurbished to provide a better and improved service to the Members in the area and the touring public. Now from this Call Box the motorists could get Road Side Assistance, Valuation Reports, Technical Advice and also issuance of International Driving Permits.

The refurbished Call Box at Nuwara Eliya was declared open by Dhammika Attygalle, President of the Association in the presence of S V Ganesh – Vice President, several Executive Committee members, Puthrasigamani, Life Member of the Association, Eng. C S Samarasekera of RDA- Nuwara Eliya, Devapriya Hettiarachchi, Secretary (AAC) and Eng. C L Liyanasuriya – Chief Engineer(AAC).

The services from the Nuwara Eliya Call Box are available from 8.00am to 5.00pm.

Call Technical Officer Sampath Madagama on 0767315696.

Business

Ceylon Chamber of Commerce to host Sri Lanka Climate Summit 2026

Published

7 hours ago

2026/05/20

Sahan Weerasooriya

From Risk to Opportunity: Mainstreaming Climate Action into Sri Lanka’s Growth Story

As climate rules tighten globally and investor expectations shift from commitment to compliance, climate action is now directly tied to trade, competitiveness, and access to finance. Against this backdrop, The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce will host the second edition of the Sri Lanka Climate Summit on 9 June 2026 at the Taj Samudra Hotel, convening policymakers, industry leaders, financiers, and technical experts to focus on pathways for integrating climate action into Sri Lanka’s growth story.

Held as a biennial platform, the Summit returns this year under the theme “From Risk to Opportunity: Mainstreaming Climate Action into Sri Lanka’s Growth Story.” While the inaugural edition in 2024 focused on building awareness and advocacy, the 2026 Summit shifts the conversation toward implementation, technical readiness, and compliance as climate-related obligations begin to directly influence access to markets, finance, and investment.

Rather than treating sustainability as a standalone agenda, this year’s discussions will explore how climate considerations are becoming embedded across core areas of business and economic decision-making, from infrastructure and trade to finance, governance, digitalisation, agriculture, and supply chains.