BALTIMORE — Just a few hours after declaring a State of Emergency due to the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore after a cargo ship hit it early Tuesday, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore addressed pressing questions about what happened.
He started his speech thanking everyone involved in recovery efforts as of right now the state's main focus is to save lives. And according to Maryland Department of Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld, there are six construction workers unaccounted for that rescue crews are working to find. Two additional workers were found -- one of whom was taken to a hospital with serious injuries and the other who declined further treatment. All those involved are said to be construction workers, who were repairing potholes at the time. While there is no confirmation yet whether any vehicles went into the water during the collapse, Wiedefeld said he believes they are only searching for construction workers.
"To victims of this tragedy and their loved ones, all of our hearts are broken," the governor said. "We feel your loss, we are thinking of you and we will always be thinking of you. For the construction workers who were on the Key Bridge, and we pray for everyone who has been touched by this tragedy and their families and all of their loved ones. But Maryland, we will get through this because that is the Maryland spirit and that's what Maryland is made of. We are Maryland tough and we are Baltimore strong. So in the face of heartbreak, we come together..."
Moore said that he recognizes that many people are scared due to the news, but wants to dispel any misinformation based on where they are in the investigation. To start, he said that there is no credible evidence that this was a terrorist attack, which was echoed by an FBI special agent with Baltimore's field office.
He said they are still investigating what happened, but are quickly gathering information. Early details point towards the crash being accidental. Moore did confirm that the crew on the ship notified authorities of a power issue they experienced onboard, which caused them to lose power.
When it comes to the timing between the report and the possibility of shutting down the bridge, Gov. Moore said what they know is the ship was coming in at a very rapid speed and the investigation is ongoing. He said there was a 'mayday' that was able to help stop cars from crossing over the bridge. It is unknown at this time how many people were stopped from going over the bridge before it was hit.
The bridge is a very important commuting route for many people, as around 35,000 people a day use the Key Bridge, according to Wiedefeld. The governor said it will be a long-term build to replace what was loss due to the collapse and rebuild, but at this time there is no estimated cost for that.
"So many of us know the Key Bridge because it is our normal commute. This is a place that is a normal commute route for over 30,000 Marylanders every single day. So to hear the words that the Key Bridge has collapsed it's shocking," the governor said with his hand over his chest. "And heartbreaking."
He said his first thought was of the people who might have been impacted, but also to hear that a bridge that has been around for nearly 50 years has collapsed, shakes the community.
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