Authorities recovered two of the bodies of construction workers who were knocked into the water when a freighter struck a major Baltimore bridge Tuesday.
Eight people were on the Francis Scott Key Bridge when the crash happened —— two were rescued, two bodies have been recovered and recovery efforts continue in the search for the four people who are still missing.
“These were sons and fathers and they were brothers,” Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said on “Good Morning America.” “As we’ve now transitioned to a recovery mission, we want to let (the families) know that we will use all resources to bring them a sense of closure and bring them a sense of peace.”
Search-and-rescue efforts were suspended Tuesday evening, 18 hours after the crash, after “rescue divers were working through dangerous conditions, facing frigid waters, moving tides and mangled metal,” according to The New York Times.
What we know about the 6 victims from Baltimore bridge collapse so far
The six men were “filling potholes on the center span of the bridge” for Brawner Builders as employees or contractors when the bridge was struck, according to CBS News.
Here’s what we know about the six victims:
- Miguel Luna, from El Salvador — “He is a husband, a father of three, and has called Maryland his home for over 19 years,” nonprofit CASA executive director Gustavo Torres said, per CBS News.
- Maynor Yassir Suazo Sandoval, from Honduras — he grew up in Honduras and had lived in the U.S. for 18 years with his spouse, an 18-year-old son and a 5-year-old daughter, his brother Carlos Suazo told NBC News.
- “He was always so full of joy, and brought so much humor to our family,” Suazo told the The New York Times.
- The other four victims have not yet been publicly identified, but the Mexican Embassy said at least some of the men were Mexican nationals. “They are all hard-working, humble men,” The Baltimore Banner said, per CBS News.
A vigil for the victims was held Thursday morning, and attendees sang “10,000 Reasons” in Spanish to pay tribute, per the Times.
What we know about the Francis Scott Key Bridge port
According to CBS News, “The port is the ninth busiest in the United States.” It is the top port for automobile shipments in the U.S., and authorities are shifting focus to get the shipping lanes open.
The halted flow in traffic “could hurt the local economy, strain supply chains and scramble deliveries along the US East Coast,” CNN reported.
- “Last year, we received, processed and shipped approximately 100,000 vehicles through Baltimore for US dealers located in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic US,” Volkswagen said in a statement, per CNN.
- The closure of the port “could jeopardize the jobs of some 8,000 workers who collectively earn around $2 million in wages every day,” the Times reported.