2024-04-05 04:04:10
Two gigantic cranes arrived this Thursday in Baltimore, in the eastern United States, to begin clearing the area of the collapsed bridge, but authorities warn that this important port for the American economy will take time to reopen.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge, used every day by tens of thousands of vehicles, collapsed like a house of cards on Tuesday after a container ship collided with it. As a result, the entrance to the port of Baltimore was blocked.
On Wednesday, divers found the bodies of two of the six missing Latin American workers. But the search for the other four was stopped because it was too dangerous.
They have been presumed dead after the “Dali”, a 300 meter long container ship, crashed into the bridge pylons due to propulsion problems.
The deceased were part of a team of eight workers who repaired potholes on the road. Two were rescued shortly after the bridge collapsed.
Local residents took part in a vigil in a nearby park on Thursday morning, local media reported.
Baltimore City Council launched a fundraiser to support the families of the victims.
The reopening of the port is a priority for the government.
“We are moving heaven and earth” to get the port operational again, White House advisor Tom Pérez said this Thursday.
As for reconstruction, “it is not going to take hours, or days, or weeks,” warned Wes Moore, governor of the state of Maryland, where Baltimore is located. It will be “a very long road” to return to normality.
Maryland has asked the federal state for an initial allocation of $60 million for “immediate efforts,” the governor added.
After the tragedy, the president Joe Biden He promised that the federal government would cover the entire cost of rebuilding the bridge.
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2024-04-05 04:04:10