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)

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From Mt. Fuji to Sri Pada: Lessons from a father-son climb

Published

20 hours ago

2026/08/30

Thilina Walpola

by SK Samaranayake

For Daham Gunasena, reaching the summit of Mt. Fuji with his 12-year-old son was not the end of the journey but the beginning of a different kind of lesson.

Gunasena, Director – Commercial at SPAR Sri Lanka and a senior business leader, academic and Chartered Accountant, spent nearly 12 hours on August 19 climbing Japan’s highest mountain with his son, Methum. After eight hours of climbing, the pair reached the 3,776-metre summit before beginning a demanding four-hour descent to Fujinomiya 5th Station.

“The summit was only halfway,” Gunasena reflected, describing the experience as a lesson in preparation, perseverance and responsibility.

Their journey began two days earlier with a trial excursion to the 6th Station and the volcanic landscape around Mt. Hoei. The experience allowed Gunasena to assess the altitude, terrain, weather and equipment before deciding whether his son was ready for the summit attempt.

The climb itself reinforced the value of taking one step at a time. Rather than focusing on the distant summit, father and son concentrated on the next marker, the next few steps and short periods of rest.

Reaching the summit brought another lesson. After taking photographs and celebrating, they still had four hours of descent ahead of them over loose volcanic terrain.

“Reaching the top was an achievement. Returning safely was success,” Gunasena said.

The experience also prompted him to reflect on how Japan manages Mt. Fuji, including visitor education, digital information, sanitation, transport, safety and environmental protection.

Having climbed Sri Pada 12 times last year and five times so far this year, Gunasena sees opportunities to apply some of these principles in Sri Lanka without compromising the mountain’s unique pilgrimage traditions.

He suggested a comprehensive digital platform for Sri Pada providing information on weather, congestion, transport, sanitation, first aid and emergencies, while educating foreign visitors about its religious significance.

For Gunasena, however, the most enduring lesson was personal: a mountain can teach what lectures cannot—through preparation, perseverance, respect for nature and the shared experience of taking each step together.

Business

FLIR, Marlbo promote smarter industrial maintenance

Published

20 hours ago

2026/08/30

Thilina Walpola

Sri Lankan industries are being encouraged to adopt advanced condition monitoring technologies to detect equipment problems before they develop into costly failures, as global technology company FLIR and its local partner Marlbo Trading Company strengthen their collaboration.

The companies brought together industry professionals at a technical seminar held on August 20 at Taj Samudra, Colombo, focusing on the use of thermography and acoustic imaging to reduce unplanned downtime, improve energy efficiency and lower maintenance costs.

Organised by Marlbo under the theme “Condition Monitoring Using Thermography and Acoustic Imaging for Measurable ROI,” the seminar highlighted the growing importance of proactive and predictive maintenance in improving equipment reliability and operational efficiency.

FLIR Sales Director – Instrumentation, India, Bhaskar Lala, and APAC Condition Monitoring Specialist David Gambarte shared their expertise on the latest diagnostic technologies and their practical industrial applications.

Thermal imaging can identify abnormal heat patterns linked to electrical and mechanical faults, while acoustic imaging can detect problems that may go unnoticed during routine inspections.

The technology is particularly useful in identifying compressed-air leaks, which can cause significant energy losses and increase operating costs.

Shevon Liyanage, Engineer – Measuring Instruments at Marlbo, also shared insights into applying condition monitoring technologies in the Sri Lankan industrial environment.

Business

Lumbini Tea Valley wins intl award for Singharaja Wirytips

Published

20 hours ago

2026/08/30

Thilina Walpola

Chaminda Jayawardana receiving the award

Lumbini Tea Valley Ceylon won an award for its Singharaja Wirytips at The Leafies: International Tea Awards held in London in 2024, marking another international recognition for the Sri Lankan tea producer.

The award comes as the company marks two decades of direct exports, with its premium and organic Ceylon teas now reaching 35 countries across six continents.

Established in 1984, Lumbini Tea Valley began its direct export drive after Chaminda Jayawardana joined the family business in 2000 alongside his father, Dayapala Jayawardana. The initiative materialised in 2006 with the company’s first direct shipment—a 15-kilogram consignment of Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe (FBOP) tea to the United States.

Since then, the company has expanded its direct-export operations, which now account for around 20% of its total manufacturing output. Following its transition to organic production, approximately half of its organic tea output is exported directly by the company.

Its key export markets include Japan, the United States, France, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Australia, with direct shipments now reaching 35 countries.

The company said its direct-export model would continue to expand amid growing international demand for traceable, single-origin Ceylon tea, with premium and organic grades at the centre of its export strategy.