Baltimore Bridge Tragedy: One Hospitalized, Another Released, Six Feared Dead in Collapse Aftermath
Early Tuesday, a catastrophic accident unfolded in Baltimore causing the Francis Scott Key Bridge to collapse. This collapse was due to a large ship, named Dali, hitting part of the bridge. Parts of the bridge could be seen buckling and folding, falling into the Patapsco River. The bridge is a major thoroughfare, used by lots of cars and trucks every day, crossing a river that ships use to get to and from the port.
After the bridge fell, rescue efforts began as first responders started looking for anyone who might be in danger or hurt. They found out that six workers who were fixing the bridge could not be found, and it’s believed they didn’t survive. The company they worked for said it looked like they were taking a break when the accident happened. Also, two people were saved from the water, and one person had to go to the hospital but is still alive.
Doctors at the University of Maryland Medical Center are taking care of one person who got hurt, while another person who was also hurt has been allowed to go home. The doctors didn’t say much about how they were hurt or who they were.
People who witnessed the bridge fall described how scary it was, saying it was hard to believe what they were seeing. A worker from the same company as the missing workers said he couldn’t stop thinking about his friends who were on the bridge. He said it must have been terrifying to be there when it happened.
The government and experts are trying to figure out why the ship hit the bridge. They said the ship lost power and couldn’t be steered away in time. This is a big problem because the bridge is very important for cars going around Baltimore and for ships coming to the port. Now, there is no real timetable on how long it will take to fix everything, which will undoubtedly cause problems for people driving in the area and for businesses that depend on the port.
Many are still in disbelief over what happened, and heartbroken for the workers who are missing. The company they worked for said they always try to be safe, but they never thought something like this could happen. For now, everyone’s focus is on continued rescue efforts, helping those affected, and making sure something like this doesn’t happen again.
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Gallery Credit: KATELYN LEBOFF