Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott:

Transcript: Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott on “Face the Nation,” March 31, 2024

The following is a transcript of an interview with Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott that aired on March 31, 2024.

ED O’KEEFE: We turn now to the Mayor of Baltimore Brandon Scott. Mr. Mayor, thank you for spending part of Easter with us. We appreciate it. After this bridge collapse, this past week in your city, what is the most urgent need right now in Baltimore?

MAYOR BRANDON SCOTT: Well the most urgent need, because our focus will always be on those families. I’m talking focus on the total impact on humans, right. And that begins with the loss of life. That then goes to what’s going to happen for those families, and then the economic realities following this. And that’s where our focus is going to continue to be. We have the salvage operation underway as of yesterday, with one crane and one barge working to start to cut some of the bridge out, that work is happening through the unified command. But we are and always will be focused on the human impact of this tragedy.

ED O’KEEFE: Well, let’s talk a little bit about that. What more can you as a city be doing for those four families, and then more broadly, for the roughly 15,000 workers whose jobs are tied in one way or another, to the Port of Baltimore?

MAYOR BRANDON SCOTT: Well, listen, I said from day one, that my office would be there to support the families in every way possible. And it’s not just me, our partners and Governor Moore and his administration, my partners in Baltimore County Executive Olszewski and County Executive Pittman and their administration, my Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, has work with nonprofit groups that work with immigrants to set up case management for these individuals, we already set up a fund that now has over $300,000 into it for those families, and we will support them throughout this. That could mean that they need ongoing trauma care, that can mean in the future, they need help with different jobs and things like that. But we also have to focus on the impact of the workers and the businesses at the port. I first have to be thankful to President Biden for having the SBA allow us now to have these businesses apply for grants through SBA to be able to keep their business open, keep those folks employed. We’ve been working alongside- and thankful for Governor Moore for making that ask, that’s a strong sign of leadership for these workers in these businesses. We don’t want these small businesses to go away. We don’t want these jobs and my residents and everyone’s residents depend on, to go away. We’re actually opening up a center at 1501 South Clinton Street tomorrow morning, where the folks can come at afternoon at 1pm to come see the SBA. We’ll have our office on- on their on standby, it will be open every single day this week. Very gracious and grateful to the folks that care for us for allowing us to have it there. So that we can be able to help these individuals that are impacted in every way. But as I always say, in situations like this, we have to start with those most directly impacted. And that is, of course, those families.

ED O’KEEFE: You’re talking, when you say SBA, about the Small Business Administration that’s offering now loans of up to about $2 million to the affected companies. You know, ultimately, Congress is likely going to have to get involved in some of this to provide federal relief. What if any kind of direct outreach have you done to lawmakers in both parties to try to make the case for what Baltimore needs?

MAYOR BRANDON SCOTT: Well, listen, I have the best congressional delegation in the United States Congress. And Senator Cardin, Senator Van Hollen, Congressman Mfume, even Congressman Raskin, Congressman Trone, they have all been there on the ground. I don’t have to reach out to them because they’ve been there on site, talking with us, talking with the impacted individuals. And we know that they are going to do everything in their power to bring back resources for this tragedy that doesn’t just impact the city of Baltimore and the state of Maryland. This port is the number one port for cars and farm equipment. So this matters to folks in rural North Carolina, in Kansas, and Iowa, this matters to the global economy. And it does not, this should not be something that has anything or any conversation around party. We are talking about an American tragedy to an American city, American port city, that means so much to this country in the world, and no party conversation should be involved at all.

ED O’KEEFE: Secretary Buttigieg told us a little while ago that there’s still no sense of how quickly this cleanup will happen, or how quickly the bridge will get rebuilt. What happens to the economy of Baltimore in the meantime?

MAYOR BRANDON SCOTT: Well, right now, that’s the things that we’re looking at, right? We’re looking at how we’re going to offload some of the stuff that is in the port and maybe use our partners at Tradepoint Atlantic to help with some of that. We obviously have some stuff on trains that can go out,. This is why it’s so important for the SBA and what they’re doing. We be told- I’ll be meeting with labor leaders in the actual workers myself tomorrow to talk about what kind of other support that they need, while we all wrap our heads around and figure out how we can support them and keep as much commerce flowing as possible. This is going to be a long road. This is not going to be a sprint. This is a marathon and as I said yesterday, with you know anything about long distance running, the folks who get out quickly, never win. We are going to win, because we’re going to make every single step have the right pace, the focus and attention on every detail that we need to to make sure that we not only build back this bridge. That we focus on those humans impacted, and every single detail of that.

ED O’KEEFE: This was a tragic accident. But it seems these days when something like this happens in this country, there are always conspiracy theories and a lot of misinformation thrown around. And in the case of this accident, some downright nasty things said about you online this week. I’ve got to ask you one of the wilder things is some conservative critics blamed the bridge collapse on diversity, equity and inclusion policies in Maryland. Diversity, equity inclusion, better known as DEI to a lot of people. They called you, some critics, “the DEI mayor.” What did you make of that when you heard it?

MAYOR BRANDON SCOTT: Well, as I’ve said, already this week, we know. Listen, I am a young black man and young black mayor in this country. We know that there are a lot of racism, folks who don’t think I should be in this job. I know that, I’ve been Black my whole life. I know how racism- racism goes in this country. But my focus is always going to be on those people. I didn’t want to be out there that night asking- answering questions about DEI. I’m worried about the loss of life. We know how ridiculous that is. Those folks are afraid as I said this week, to use the N-word. This should not be even in conversation. We have to remain focused on the mission at hand and continue from my vantage point to prove those people wrong about people that look like me by doing my job in the best way that I can. And ignoring the noise of folks who simply want to be devices and are afraid that their way of life where people that don’t look like them and think like them can be in control can be in power and actually be better at the job.

ED O’KEEFE: Well, we thank you for spending some time on this Easter talking to us about the situation. As you said, it’s a marathon. We’ll likely be with you through some of the other miles of this and for now, happy Easter and thank you again.

MAYOR BRANDON SCOTT: Thank you. Happy Easter.

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Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott: “No party conversation should be involved” in bridge recovery

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott: “No party conversation should be involved” in bridge recovery – CBS News

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Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott tells “Face the Nation” that as his city seeks federal assistance to rebuild after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed, “no party conversation should be involved.”

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Work begins to reopen Port of Baltimore after Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse

Work begins to reopen Port of Baltimore after Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse – CBS News

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The complex operation to reopen the Port of Baltimore after the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge is underway. Several cranes, including the largest floating crane on the East Coast, recently arrived at the site, and more vital equipment is on the way.

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The Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse impacted cruises and cargos shipments. Here’s how.

The Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse has impacted travel in Baltimore – including cruises and cargo shipments. Carnival Cruise Line had to temporarily move its Baltimore operations to Norfolk, Virginia as the Baltimore Harbor has been closed to marine traffic – which could cause up to a $10 million monetary loss.

The company’s ship, Carnival Legend, was scheduled to return to Baltimore on Sunday, March 31, but guests will instead go to Norfolk. There will be a complimentary bus service to get back to Baltimore from that port Carnival announced on Tuesday. The drive between these cities could be up to five hours long.

The upcoming Carnival Legend cruise on March 31 will depart and return to Norfolk.

“Our thoughts remain with the impacted families and first responders in Baltimore,” Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line, said in a statement. “We appreciate the pledge made by President Biden today to dedicate all available resources to reopen Baltimore Harbor to marine traffic as soon as possible. As those plans are finalized, we will update our future cruise guests on when we will return home to Baltimore, but in the meantime, we appreciate the quick response and support from officials in Norfolk.”

“We will continue to actively monitor the situation and look forward to getting back to Baltimore as soon as possible,” a Carnival spokesperson said in a statement to CBS News.

As for the impact on business, the spokesperson told CBS News the company expects a less than $10 million impact on both adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization as well as its adjusted net income for the full year 2024.

Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore — A view of the Dali cargo vessel which crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing it to collapse, in Baltimore, Maryland, March 26, 2024.

Julia Nikhinson / REUTERS

Cruise Lines International Association, the largest cruise industry trade association, says 12 cruise ships made 115 trips through Baltimore in 2024. And in 2023, about 444,000 cruise passengers moved through the port, the 29th largest in the U.S.

Other cruise companies like Royal Caribbean and American Cruise Lines also have ships that go to Baltimore, however, it is unclear if those lines have been impacted yet. CBS News reached out to several cruise companies for comment.

The bridge collapsed around 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday when a cargo ship, called the Dali, lost power and crashed into one of the bridge’s columns. The ship made a mayday call ahead of the crash and first responders were able to prevent cars from driving onto the bridge, but eight construction workers were on the structure pouring concrete.

Two of the construction workers were recovered alive, but the other six were presumed dead on Tuesday. Two bodies were found in a construction vehicle submerged in the water on Wednesday.

Following the incident, Maryland Governor Wes Moore declared a state of emergency and President Biden said the federal government would pay for the entire cost of reconstructing the bridge, which is still sitting in the river, on top of the cargo ship, which had 22 people on board – none of them harmed.

Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed early Tuesday March 26, 2024, after a support column was struck by a vessel. — Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed on March 26, 2024, after a support column was struck by a vessel.

Karl Merton Ferron/The Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

Baltimore is the ninth-busiest port in the nation and handled a record 11.7 million tons of cargo last year, the Associated Press reports. More than 50 shipping and cruise ship companies do business with the port, mainly moving cars, coal, wood, steel, aluminum, home appliances, furniture, sugar and liquefied natural gas.

“For everybody who is buying cars, for everybody who is (buying) farm equipment, we’re the largest port in the country that does that,” Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said. “So this is not just impacting Maryland.”

Shipping companies and automakers will likely divert ships heading to Baltimore to other East Coast cities, experts say, according to the AP.

Ships waiting to get into Baltimore were stalled after the incident, with many drifting in the North Atlantic, waiting to be assigned to a new port, according to Windward Maritime, which analyzes maritime data.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said rebuilding the bridge won’t be easy or cheap. “That does not necessarily mean it will take five years to replace, but that tells you what went into that original structure going up,” he said. “We need to get a sense of the conditions, of the parts that look ok, to the naked eye, but we just don’t know yet, especially in terms of their foundational infrastructure.”

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Latest on the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse investigation in Baltimore

Latest on the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse investigation in Baltimore – CBS News

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The bodies of two men were recovered Wednesday from the site of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore, officials said. 35-year-old Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes and 26-year-old Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera were located in a truck 25 feet deep in the river. CBS News senior transportation correspondent Kris Van Cleave reports on the investigation into the collapse.

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Police audio reveals moments before Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse

The disbelieving voice of a police officer witnessing the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge near Baltimore in the early hours of Tuesday summed up the shock about to be felt across the country.

“The whole bridge just fell down!” the officer says on the dispatch radio, published by Broadcastify, which posts emergency service audio clips from major incidents.

The audio also captures the moment the quick-thinking officers stopped traffic and closed the bridge, saving countless lives — actions that saw them hailed as heroes by Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott on Wednesday.

Two of the six construction workers who were missing, presumed dead, were recovered from the Patapsco River on Wednesday, in a red pick-up truck 25 feet under water.

Police named them as 35-year-old Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, originally from Mexico, and 26-year-old Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, originally from Guatemala. Family and friends described them as devoted husbands, fathers and workers. A search operation continues for the missing four.

“I need one of you guys on the south side, one of you guys on the north side, hold all traffic on the Key Bridge — there is a ship approaching that has lost its steering. So until you get that under control, we got to stop all traffic,” one officer says on the dispatch.

The same officer then asks: “Is there a crew working on the bridge right now?”

The container ship Dali, rests against wreckage of the Francis Scott Key Bridge as seen from Pasadena, Md., on March 27, 2024. Alex Brandon / AP

He continues: “I’m not sure where, there’s a crew up there you might want to notify, whoever the foreman is, see if we can get them off the bridge temporarily.”

Another officer replies to say that once another police unit arrives, “I’ll go grab the workers on the Key Bridge.”

Moments later a new officer says over the radio: “The whole bridge just fell down! Start, start … everybody. The whole thing just collapsed.”

The bridge came down in a matter of seconds, as dramatic video showed. But the Dali’s fateful voyage had begun 50 minutes earlier.

The enormous cargo ship, measuring almost 1,000 feet, left the port of Baltimore at 12:39 a.m. on Tuesday, according to a timeline from the NTSB.

The ship entered the channel at 1:07 and by 1:24 had reached a speed of 8 knots, or 9.2 mph.

At 1:24, multiple alarms can be heard on the ship’s audio.

Two minutes later, the ship’s pilot called for any nearby tug boats to assist and called the Maryland Transport Authority (MDTA) to report the loss of control.

At 1:27, the pilot ordered the boat to drop its port anchor and continued to make steering commands. At this point the pilot radioed to say he had lost all power and was approaching the bridge.

The MDTA was able to radio police units on both sides of the bridge to stop traffic, as the ship continued at less than 7 knots, or 8 mph.

The ship’s audio captured the moment of impact at 1:29 — the ship’s pilot reported the bridge coming down at the same time.

As Baltimore, Maryland and the country come to terms with the loss of six lives, a famous landmark and important economic infrastructure, attention turns to the investigation into how and why the enormous Dali cargo ship suddenly lost power, and how the bridge crumbled so quickly.

Coast Guard Rear Admiral Shannon Gilreath said during a news conference Wednesday that the Dali had routine maintenance while it was in the port of Baltimore, but no issues were flagged.

“So as far as the engine goes, we were not informed of any problems with the vessel,” he said. “We were informed that they were going to conduct routine engine maintenance on it while it was in port. And that’s the only thing we were informed about that vessel in that regard.”

National Transport Safety Board Chair Jennifer L. Homendy and a team of investigators boarded the ship Wednesday to interview crew and gather evidence. The NTSB has recovered the data recorder, which will provide a huge range of data, including the ship’s exact position and its systems status at the time of the collision.

But Homendy has warned that the investigation will be a huge undertaking and could take between one to two years.

Meanwhile, one of the biggest ports on the eastern seaboard remains shut, depriving suppliers of a major route for consumer goods, including automobiles, that normally accounts for 4,900 trucks and billions of dollars of trade daily.

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A timeline of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse

Around 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed when a cargo ship lost power and crashed into it. Officials were able to prevent cars from driving onto the bridge just before the accident, but eight construction workers remained on the structure and plummeted into the river below. Here’s how the events unfolded.

About 12:45 a.m.

The Dali, a Singaporean-flagged cargo ship, leaves the dock in Baltimore, moving through the Patapsco River.

Tug boats, which are routinely used at the Port of Baltimore to help get vehicles out of the docking station, were already cut loose when the Dali’s pilots and crew lost control of the ship. Ships are not required to have escorts through the bridge.

About 12:56 a.m.

The boat begins to make a big arc, turning toward the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

About 1:25 a.m.

The ship reaches its max speed and then loses power one minute later at 1:26 a.m. The crew on board makes a mayday call, saying a collision might be possible.

Baltimore County Executive John Olszewski said there were roughly two minutes between Dali’s mayday call to authorities and the bridge collapsing.

The crew made an effort to deploy the anchor, but it remains unclear how much progress was made, officials said.

“If it lost steering and power, then basically it’s a dead ship just being carried by the current or its own momentum,” James Mercante, the president of the New York Board of Pilot Commissioners, told CBS News.

“It would take quite a while — probably the length of five [or] six football fields — to bring that ship to a stop, even after dropping the anchors, because of its power and momentum. This is a behemoth,” Mercante said.

1:27 a.m.

After receiving the mayday call from the Dali, officials ask police to block traffic on either side of the bridge, 911 records show. “There’s a ship approaching that just lost all their steering,” the dispatcher says. “So until you get that under control, we got to stop all traffic.”

Two emergency responders say thay have each stopped traffic on the north and south sides of the bridge.

1:28 a.m.

The 911 records show concern was raised for a crew working on the bridge. “I’m not sure if there’s a crew up there, you might want to notify whoever the foreman is, see if we can get them off the bridge temporarily,” someone on the call says.

1:29 a.m.

The boat starts to lose speed at around 1:29 a.m. and soon, it hits a column holding up the bridge.

Someone on the 911 call alerts the dispatcher that the whole bridge has collapsed. Emergency responders from Maryland Transportation Authority Police confirm they have held all traffic from entering the bridge.

Tuesday morning

After the collapse, a search and rescue effort begins for the eight construction workers who were on the bridge. They worked for Brawner Builders and were filling potholes on the bridge.

Several agencies, including the FBI, sent dive teams into the water for the search.

The FBI also announced that there is “no specific or credible information to suggest there are ties to terrorism in this incident.”

NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy the agency is leading the investigation, but focus remains on the people and families, saying “the rest can wait” and there wasn’t a lot of information she could share at the time.

10 a.m.

Maryland Department of Transportation Secretary Paul J. Wiedefeld announced in a news conference that two of the construction workers were recovered.

One was unhurt and the other was treated at University of Maryland Medical Center and has been discharged, according to CBS Baltimore.

Around 3:30 p.m.

At a news conference, Maryland Governor Wes Moore says the search and rescue operation was still underway.

Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg says the administration will work with NTSB and the Coast Guard on the investigation into what happened and reiterated what President Biden said at an earlier news conference: the federal government will provide all the support needed to fix the bridge.

7:30 p.m.

Search and rescue operations were suspended and officials transitioned to recovery efforts, with six of the construction workers still missing and presumed dead.

The men, all in their 30s and 40s, are from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico, according to CBS Baltimore’s partners at The Baltimore Banner. They have spouses and children and were described as “hard-working, humble men,” by an employee at the construction company.

One of the missing was identified as by thee nonprofit organization CASA as Miguel Luna, who is originally from El Salvador. He is a husband and father of three, who lived in Maryland for 19 years.

Honduras’ Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Antonio García said one of the missing workers, Maynor Yassir Suazo Sandoval, was from Honduras, the The Associated Press reports.

Guatemala’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said two of the missing workers are from Guatemala. The Mexican Embassy in Washington also confirmed there were Mexicans among the six missing.

A vigil was held for the workers on Tuesday night.

Divers were due back in the water on Wednesday.

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What caused the Dali to slam into Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge? What we know about what led up to the collapse

Shocking video showed the moment a massive cargo ship collided with Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge early Tuesday morning, sending parts of the decades-old suspension bridge, along with people and vehicles, into the Patapsco River.

Six people who were on the bridge are missing and presumed dead, officials said late Tuesday. Two others were rescued from the water. All eight were construction workers who were repairing potholes on the bridge, officials said. There were 22 Indian nationals, including two pilots, aboard the cargo ship.

Investigators and officials are now crafting a timeline of events, including what caused the Singapore-owned vessel, called the Dali, to hit the bridge just minutes after leaving port. Here’s what we know so far.

What caused the Dali to slam into the Francis Scott Key Bridge?

The Dali, which was chartered by shipping giant Maersk and operated by Synergy Marine Group, hit the Francis Scott Key Bridge shortly after leaving the Port of Baltimore.

An unclassified memo issued by CISA, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, said the ship reported losing propulsion. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said the ship’s crew reported a “power issue.” A spokesperson for the National Transportation Safety Board, which is investigating the crash, said the agency still needs to verify that the Dali lost power prior to striking the bridge column.

Key Bridge Accident — The scene where Singapore-flagged container vessel Dali crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, MD on March 26, 2024.

Carolyn Van Houten/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Two U.S. officials told CBS News multiple alarms rang out on the ship, alerting pilots and crew to an issue on board. The crew ran several system tests to attempt to remedy the loss of propulsion from the motor, but the tests proved unsuccessful. At that point, the ship’s pilots alerted the Maryland Department of Transportation and the Maryland Transit Authority.

That alert allowed local officials to stop traffic on the bridge and likely saved lives, officials said.

The ship’s crew made an effort to deploy the anchor, though it remains unclear how much progress was made, multiple officials said. The massive ship is over 900 feet long and was moving at about 8 knots, or just over 9 miles per hour. Authorities said that speed is considered “very rapid.”

Captain Michael Burns, executive director of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy’s Maritime Center for Responsible Energy, told CBS Baltimore that stopping a cargo ship is difficult, especially in such a short time.

“It’s extremely challenging, and takes years of experience and training in order to be able to do this safely,” he said. “It can take up to a mile for some of these ships to get stopped, depending on the circumstances, so we really need to think well out, miles ahead of the ship.”

Why did the Dali lose propulsion?

It’s not clear what caused the vessel to lose propulsion, officials said.

A spokesperson for the NTSB told CBS Baltimore that it had collected the ship’s data recorder, and would review and analyze the material there to determine what happened aboard the vessel in the moments before the collision.

That data recorder will also be used to establish a timeline of events.

Maritime expert reacts to ship hitting Baltimore bridge, causing collapse

07:12

What happens when a ship loses propulsion?

James Mercante, the president of the New York Board of Pilot Commissioners, told CBS News that a ship that has lost steering and power is essentially “a dead ship just being carried by the current or its own momentum.”

He highlighted a moment in the video of the crash that appears to show a “big, big puff of black, real dark black smoke” which might indicate that the vessel’s power was “restored at the last minute” and that the pilot was “attempting to make an emergency maneuver” to avoid hitting the bridge. However, he emphasized that it would be difficult to stop the massive cargo ship, especially in such a short time.

“It would take quite a while — probably the length of five [or] six football fields — to bring that ship to a stop, even after dropping the anchors, because of its power and momentum,” said Mercante. “This is a behemoth.”

Kerry Breen

Kerry Breen is a reporter and news editor at CBSNews.com. A graduate of New York University’s Arthur L. Carter School of Journalism, she previously worked at NBC News’ TODAY Digital. She covers current events, breaking news and issues including substance use.

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Timeline of Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore

Timeline of Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore – CBS News

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At 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday, March 26, Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed when a cargo ship lost power and crashed into it. Here’s how the events unfolded.

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Search resumes for 6 presumed dead in Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore

TEAM COVERAGE: Six presumed dead in Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse, community shows outpouring of

06:10

BALTIMORE — The search resumed Wednesday morning for six people missing and presumed dead in the wake of the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.

The bridge crumbled early Tuesday after a support column was hit by a large container ship that had lost power, sending people and vehicles into the Patapsco River.

Search and rescue operations were suspended at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday as officials transitioned to recovery efforts.

“Based on the length of time that we’ve gone in this search, the extensive search efforts that we’ve put into it, the water temperature — that at this point we do not believe that we’re going to find any of these individuals still alive,” Coast Guard Rear Admiral Shannon Gilreath said in a news conference Tuesday evening.

Two workers rescued, six missing

Two people were rescued from the water shortly after Tuesday’s collapse. One of the rescued workers was unhurt, the other was treated at the University of Maryland Medical Center and has been discharged.

All eight people were part of a construction crew filling potholes on the bridge at the time, Gilreath said.

Jennifer Homendy, the chair of the National Transportation Security Board, said Tuesday afternoon that a local company, Brawner Builders, employed the workers.

Perilous search conditions

The Coast Guard is leading the recovery mission at the Key Bridge site.

Col. Roland Butler Jr., with Maryland State Police, said conditions in the water, including changing currents, low visibility and sharp metal objects, made it dangerous for divers and first responders.

Divers would begin recovery operations at 6 a.m. Wednesday, Butler Jr. said, adding that the victims’ exact locations were unknown.

Maryland Democratic Rep. David Trone told CBS News recovery efforts will likely be conducted with underwater drones. He said the drones will be able to locate submerged vehicles and that authorities have identified one in particular that likely has casualties.

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott discusses recovery efforts, path back from Francis Scott Key Bridge co

03:41

Who are the victims?

All six victims were working on the bridge filling potholes at the time of the collapse. One of the victims has been identified by a nonprofit organization, and three South American nations indicated missing citizens but stopped short of identifying them as victims.

The nonprofit organization CASA identified one of the missing workers as Miguel Luna, a man from El Salvador who was a father of three.

Guatemala’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said two of the missing workers were from that country. One was 26 years old and the other was 35 years old, according to the ministry.

Honduras’ Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Antonio García told The Associated Press a Honduran citizen was missing, and the Mexican Embassy in Washington said there were Mexicans among the six as well.

Ship had a “power issue” before the collision

Investigators have confirmed that the ship lost power right before the collision. Governor Wes Moore said the crew notified authorities of a “power issue.”

Two U.S. officials told CBS News multiple alarms rang out on the ship, alerting pilots and crew to an issue on board. The crew ran several system tests to attempt to remedy the loss of propulsion from the motor, but the tests proved unsuccessful. At that point, the pilot alerted the Maryland Department of Transportation and the Maryland Transit Authority.

Roughly two minutes elapsed between when the ship’s pilot notified state authorities of an issue on board and when the bridge collapsed, Baltimore County Executive John Olszewski said.

Mayday call saved lives

Officials said in a news conference that the call allowed officials to order a mayday and stop traffic onto the bridge.

Moore said that the decision to stop traffic onto the bridge “saved lives last night.” Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott told CBS News the mayday call “saved many lives” and allowed emergency personnel to get to the scene quickly.

Officials did not clarify how many vehicles were on the bridge at the time of the collapse. Infrared video showed that vehicles did enter the water, but it’s not clear if those vehicles had occupants. Multiple vehicles remained in the river Wednesday.

Homendy said it was too early in the investigation to clarify an exact timeline of events for the accident.

The ship’s crew made an effort to deploy the anchor, though it remains unclear how much progress was made, multiple officials said Tuesday.

Maritime expert reacts to ship hitting Baltimore bridge, causing collapse

07:12

He said video shows a “big, big puff of black, real dark black smoke” which might indicate that the vessel’s power was “restored at the last minute” and that the pilot was “attempting to make an emergency maneuver” to prevent the collision. However, it would be difficult to stop the 900-foot-long vessel.

Where is the Francis Scott Key Bridge?

The bridge crosses the Patapsco River, a key waterway that along with the Port of Baltimore serves as a hub for East Coast shipping.

The bridge is the outermost of three toll crossings of Baltimore’s Harbor and the final link in Interstate 695, known in the region as the Baltimore Beltway, which links Baltimore and Washington, D.C.

The bridge was built in 1977 after the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel reached capacity and experienced heavy congestion almost daily, according to the MDTA.

The 1.6-mile span was used by some 31,000 people per day and carried 11.5 million vehicles annually.

Rohan Mattu

Rohan Mattu is a digital producer at CBS News Baltimore. Rohan graduated from Towson University in 2020 with a degree in journalism and previously wrote for WDVM-TV in Hagerstown. He maintains WJZ’s website and social media, which includes breaking news in everything from politics to sports.

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