6 presumed dead in Baltimore bridge collapse

Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge after collapse

The collapse closed one of the nation's largest ports and claimed the lives of six Latino immigrants working the night shift

(Image credit: Michael A. McCoy for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

By Peter Weber, The Week US

published 27 March 2024

What happened

The massive Singapore-flagged cargo ship Dali hit a support pillar of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge at 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday, causing the bridge to crumple. Eight construction workers filling potholes fell into the Patapsco River; two were rescued and six are presumed dead.

The "unthinkable tragedy" of the bridge collapse "looked like something out of an action movie," said Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott. The police officers who rushed to stop traffic onto the bridge within 90 seconds of the Dali's "mayday" call "are heroes," said Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D). "They saved lives last night." President Joe Biden said all indications point to the bridge collapse being a "terrible accident," not an "intentional act."

The local pilot steering the Dali out of the Port of Baltimore tried everything he could after the ship experienced "complete blackout," meaning it lost engine and electrical power, said the executive director of the American Pilots Association, Clay Diamond. The Key Bridge wasn't the most "heavily trafficked" route across Baltimore Harbor, but it was the city's "blue-collar bridge," The New York Times said. And no tunnel could match its "gently sloping arch and views" of Baltimore the "working port city."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Explore More

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.