6 Die in US bridge collapse; US Prez Thanks Indian Crew for Mayday Call

Six construction workers who went missing following the collapse of the 2.57 km-long Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore city after it was hit by a container ship, are presumed to be dead by the US authorities.

US President Joe Biden thanked the Indian crew members of the ship for being able to alert authorities that they lost control of their vessel. “Personnel on board the ship were able to alert the Maryland Department of Transportation that they had lost control of their vessel, as you all know and have reported. As a result, local authorities were able to close the bridge to traffic before the bridge was struck, which undoubtedly saved lives,” he said.

According to media reports, eight people fell into the River Patapsco following the bridge collapse. Two people have been rescued so far.

The bridge, which was a main thoroughfare for drivers between New York and Washington who want to avoid downtown Baltimore, collapsed at around 1.30 am (US local time) on Tuesday after the container ship named the Dali, which had 22 Indian crew members on board, crashed into it.

The Singapore-flagged Dali container ship, with 22 Indian crew members on board, crashed onto the Francis Scott Key Bridge within minutes of departure from the Baltimore port. It was on its way to Colombo, Sri Lanka.