Image: ROBERTO SCHMIDT (AFP)
The US Coast Guard announced on Tuesday evening that it was suspending the active search for survivors. Given the water temperature, it is no longer expected that anyone will be found alive. In addition, they do not want to put the health of the rescue workers at risk given the dangerous current and debris in the water.
Potholes repaired
The 2.5 kilometer long bridge largely collapsed on Tuesday night after one of its pillars was rammed by a container ship. After the accident, police and rescue workers searched for several missing people from the air and in the water for many hours. Two survivors were pulled from the icy water. At least seven vehicles fell into the river. Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld said the missing people were believed to be construction workers. They had therefore repaired potholes on the bridge.
According to the crew, there was a problem with the electricity on the ship. This was confirmed by the governor of the US state of Maryland. Moore said thanks to the emergency signal, officials were able to stop traffic to prevent more cars from getting onto the bridge. There has been no further information about the cause so far. However, Moore emphasized that the preliminary investigation indicates an accident. There is no evidence of an intentional act or even a terrorist attack.
- More on the topic: Bridge collapse in the USA: missing people suspected in ice-cold water
Incident is under investigation
The US Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the incident. It will probably take some time until official results are available about the cause of the accident. The emergency services initially concentrated on searching for the missing people.
Image: ROBERTO SCHMIDT (AFP)
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Image: ROBERTO SCHMIDT (AFP)
Source: Nachrichten
