the bodies of two of the six missing workers found

Investigators were able to provide a detailed timeline of the accident that caused the destruction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, thanks to the data recorder of the container ship that struck it.

The concerns are confirmed. The lifeless bodies of two of the six workers who disappeared during the collapse of the Francis Scott Key bridge in Baltimore (United States) were recovered on Wednesday March 27, local authorities announced. “Divers located a red pickup truck at approximately 7.6 meters depth”announced the police of Maryland, the state where Baltimore is located, during a press briefing. “Two victims of the tragedy were prisoners of the vehicle.”

The recovered bodies were identified as those of two men aged 35 and 26, from Mexico and Guatemala, who were part of the team of workers present on the roadway of the Francis Scott Key Bridge at the time of the accident .

The bodies of four of their colleagues, all presumed dead, have not yet been found. But due to the quantity of concrete and debris in particular, “divers are no longer able to navigate their way safely” towards “what we think are the vehicle bombs”, said a Maryland police official. Rescuers will therefore seek to remove the structure from the water to facilitate access for divers.

The chronology of the accident reconstructed

The container ship’s data recorder was also recovered, allowing the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to provide a detailed timeline of the tragedy. THE Dalía ship 300 meters long and 48 meters wide and flying the Singaporean flag, left the quay of the port of Baltimore on Tuesday at 12:39 a.m. local time (5:39 a.m. in France) bound for Asia.

At 1:24 a.m. local time, alarms began to sound on board the ship, signaling propulsion problems. The pilot quickly informed port authorities by radio that the ship was heading towards the bridge, and requested the intervention of tugboats. The call for help was also received by two teams from the local transport authority who were on the bridge due to the work. The latter then closed all traffic lanes, thus probably saving lives.

Then, at 1:29 a.m., the ship’s recorder recorded “sounds corresponding to the collision”. The crew had tried in vain to slow the ship’s course by dropping anchor. The preliminary investigation shows that it was an accident, according to the authorities.

No danger to the environment despite the cargo

THE Dalí East “stable” and does not represent a danger for the environment and the public, despite the presence on board of 5.6 billion liters of diesel and a few containers of dangerous materials, assured Peter Gautier, head of the coast guard, on Wednesday. Two containers, out of a total of 4,700, fell into the water.

The vessel is operated by shipping company Synergy Group and chartered by Danish shipping giant Maersk. Singapore’s port authority said on Wednesday that it had passed two inspections in 2023 and that a faulty fuel pressure monitoring gauge was repaired in June. Chilean authorities reported a defect in the ship’s machinery in 2023, an anomaly that they said was quickly repaired.