 "US President hailed Indian crew on board the ship that crashed into Baltimore bridge for forewarning Maryland authorities. Reuters File")
US President Joe Biden hailed the Indian crew on board the Dali ship that slammed into Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, leading to its collapse, and highlighted that their warning to the authorities resulted in the closure of the bridge, saving innocent lives.
The Baltimore key bridge collapsed on Tuesday after it was struck by a huge cargo vessel, resulting in workers and few vehicles plunging into Patapsco River.
Six workers reported missing are now ‘presumed dead’. The US Coast Guard called off the search operation saying there is ’no hope’ of finding the missing men alive due to the frigid water conditions and the length of time elapsed since the accident.
Two people were earlier rescued by the authorities, with one in critical condition and the other rejecting medical attention.
‘The crew’s alert undoubtedly saved lives’
Around 22 Indian crew members, all of them unhurt in the accident, reportedly lost control of the ship and warned Maryland transport authorities before the disastrous crash.
“Personnel onboard the ship were able to alert the Maryland Department of Transportation that they had lost control of their vessel. As a result, local authorities were able to close the bridge to traffic before the bridge was struck, which undoubtedly saved lives,” said Biden during his comments on the accident at the White House.
Biden said the ongoing investigation confirms “that this was a terrible accident. At this time, we have no other indication - no other reason to believe there was any intentional act here."
Impact Shorts
More Shorts‘Federal government to reconstruct the bridge’
Biden said the US federal government would bear all costs to reconstruct the collapsed bridge, which was once one of the longest continuous truss bridges in the world post its completion in 1970s.
“I told them we’re going to send all the federal resources they need as we respond to this emergency, and I mean all the federal resources. And we’re going to rebuild that port together,” Biden stated.
The Baltimore bridge was constructed at $141 million, which is roughly $735 million in today’s dollars, as per The New York Times report.
Indian embassy expresses condolences
In a post on X, the Indian Embassy in the US conveyed heartfelt condolences to the victims of the crash and released dedicated hotline numbers for Indians who need assistance.