Bridge collapse live updates: First responders called out to people on bridge

A cargo ship crashed into Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge early Tuesday morning, causing a near-total collapse of the span and halting vessel traffic into and out of the Port of Baltimore.

Six construction workers are believed to have fallen from the collapsing bridge into the frigid waters of the Patapsco River below. The bodies of two of the victims have been recovered so far, while four remain missing and are presumed dead, officials said.

Latest Developments

_{Mar 28, 7:28 PM}

Cranes en route to Baltimore to help clear channel: Governor

Cranes are en route to Baltimore to help clear the bridge debris from the channel, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said during a press briefing Thursday.

The wreckage needs to be cleared to help advance recovery efforts, after diving operations were suspended Wednesday night due to "security concerns," as well as to reopen the channel and ultimately rebuild the bridge, Moore said.

The U.S. Navy will be providing three cranes, according to a Navy spokesperson. Among them, the "largest crane in the Eastern Seaboard" should be arriving later Thursday evening, Moore said.

"This is an incredibly complex job, and our timeline will be long," Moore said. "We've got work to do, but we're moving."

Rear Admiral Shannon Gilreath with the U.S. Coast Guard said assessments are underway to determine how to break down the bridge into the "right-size pieces" so that a crane can lift them.

"Our number one priority is to reopen the Port of Baltimore as fast as we can [and] do it safely," he said.

_{Mar 28, 6:02 PM}

Biden administration approves $60 million for bridge costs

The Biden administration approved $60 million in emergency relief funds for rebuilding the bridge hours after the receiving the request from the state of Maryland, the White House said Thursday evening.

"The federal emergency funds we're releasing today will help Maryland begin urgent work, to be followed by further resources as recovery and rebuilding efforts progress," U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement. "President Biden has been clear: the federal government will do everything it takes to help rebuild the bridge and get the Port of Baltimore back open."

_{Mar 28, 4:47 PM}

3 responding officers honored at Orioles' opening day for 'courage, bravery'

Three officers from the Maryland Transportation Authority were celebrated at the Baltimore Orioles' opening day on Thursday for their bravery responding to the bridge collapse.

"Their courage, bravery, and quick thinking saved lives," Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said in a statement. "When duty called, they answered. When crisis struck, they stepped into the breach for total strangers. In this time of challenge, they’re a bright light for our nation and our state."

The officers -- Sgt. Paul Pastorek, Cpl. Jeremy Herbert and officer Garry Kirts -- said in a joint statement, "You train for years to respond to tragedy as an officer, but no amount of training could have prepared anyone for the events that took place on the Francis Scott Key Bridge."

"We were proud to carry out our duties as officers of this state to save the lives that we could, and we are grateful for the incredible amount of support from this community that we love so much," they said. "While your messages and outreaches are so appreciated, we respectfully ask for privacy at this time as we mourn the lives of those lost and spend time with those we hold dear."

-ABC News’ Beatrice Peterson

_{Mar 28, 4:26 PM}

What we know about the victims

The bodies of two of the six construction workers killed were recovered on Wednesday, found by divers trapped in a pickup truck submerged underwater, police said.

The other four victims have not been recovered.

The workers found on Wednesday were identified by police as Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, 35, a native of Mexico who lived in Baltimore, and Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, 26, a native of Guatemala who lived in Dundalk, Maryland.

Among the four still missing is construction worker Miguel Luna, 49, a father of five, and Maynor Suazo Sandoval, a father of two.

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_{Mar 28, 4:15 PM}

Soaps, perfumes among hazardous materials

Divers are on pause due to the "hazardous conditions" caused by the collision, and officials are enforcing a 2,000-yard safety zone, according to the Unified Command leading the response.

The Unified Command is made up of agencies including the Coast Guard, the Army Corps of Engineers and the Maryland State Police.

"First responders have observed a sheen around the vessels," the Unified Command said.

Perfumes and soaps make up the majority of the 13 impacted containers with hazardous materials, according to the Unified Command.

"Crews continue to assess and monitor for spilled oils and hazardous substances to prevent further discharge," the Unified Command said in a statement Thursday.

"We have been conducting air monitoring on the vessel and around the vessel with our contractor. No volatile organic compounds or flammable vapors were observed," the Unified Command said. "Pollution and debris removal operations are on-going. At this time, no atmospheric hazards have been detected."

The Unified Command said it’s also monitoring water quality.

The Environmental Protection Agency said it sent two coordinators to work with the Coast Guard and other agencies.

-ABC News’ Sam Sweeney

_{Mar 28, 1:40 PM}

Maryland requests $60M in emergency relief funds from federal government

The state of Maryland has requested $60 million in emergency relief funds from the federal government "for our immediate response efforts and to lay the foundation for a rapid recovery," Gov. Wes Moore said in a statement.

The governor’s office said the funds are "needed for the state to proceed as quickly and safely as possible with debris removal, demolition, traffic operations and other emergency needs," and that this "request is supplemental to funding provided by other federal partners to provide complementary work for the emergency response."

This request is not related to bridge reconstruction efforts. The governor’s office said the state "is working to develop the preliminary scope and engineering estimate of future financial needs."

President Joe Biden announced earlier this week that the federal government will pay for the reconstruction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

-ABC News’ Beatrice Peterson

_{Mar 28, 12:49 PM}

State will do a full evaluation of all critical bridges in Maryland, governor says

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore told reporters that the state will do a "true full evaluation" of all fracture-critical bridges in Maryland in the wake of the deadly Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse.

During a media availability on MLB opening day announcing the new ownership of the Baltimore Orioles, Moore asked for local leaders to help rebuild.

"I'm calling on everybody to do their part. In this game, nobody gets to sit on the sidelines. We need every single Baltimorean and we need every single Marylander to join us in this work to rebuild this bridge and rebuild the city," Moore said. "And that work is happening as we speak. The best minds in the world are coming together to collect the information that we need to move forward with speed and safety."

Once the bridge is rebuilt, Moore said, "We're going to have another reopening day -- and that will be the reopening of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. And you can bet on that."

-ABC News’ Beatrice Peterson

_{Mar 28, 11:20 AM}

White House task force meets to discuss federal response to collapse

The White House's Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force held a meeting Wednesday and discussed how federal efforts can help the industries and workers impacted by the bridge collapse, according to the White House.

"Members of the Task Force shared real-time analysis of sectors with significant activity through the Port of Baltimore, including automobiles, farm machinery, and agricultural products," a White House statement said. “Members of the Task Force also provided an assessment of the impact on workers and the community."

"The Task Force will coordinate Federal outreach and efforts to assist impacted industries and will continue to monitor shipping activity at alternative ports as shipments are diverted," the readout said.

The task force was created in 2021 to respond to pandemic-era supply chain disruptions.

-ABC News’ Michelle Stoddart

_{Mar 28, 10:08 AM}

Collapse could cost as much as $4 billion

The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge could cost as much as $4 billion, which would make the incident a record shipping insurance loss, according to a Morningstar analysis citied in a new Department of Homeland Security assessment obtained by ABC News.

There are currently seven vessels at anchor awaiting to enter the Port of Baltimore, the document said. Two have been directed to other ports.

Dive operations on Thursday will confirm the ship’s stability and structural integrity so crews can begin to offload the 13 damaged containers, the document said.

The bulk of the hazardous material is located on the stern. Of the ship's 4,700 containers, 56 hold dangerous goods, but there is no threat to the public, the assessment said.

Two containers went overboard during the collision, but they did not contain hazardous materials, the document said.

-ABC News’ Josh Margolin and Aaron Katersky

_{Mar 28, 6:32 AM}

Survivor saved by first responder's warning just before bridge fell, Gov. Moore says

One of the people on the bridge just before the collapse heard the voice of a first responder calling out for him to move off quickly, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said.

"The first responders, who, again, really moved heroically, after the first mayday was called, were able to move to both keep additional cars from coming on the bridge and to begin to notify the workers and people on the bridge they need to move off the bridge," Moore said during a press briefing Wednesday.

"One of the survivors who I had the opportunity to speak with, one of the things he mentioned to me was as he was moving off of the bridge -- and literally saw the bridge fall right after he moved off -- it was because it was a first responder who was telling him to move off the bridge," Moore said.

That life-saving notification was made "audibly," although other contact between first responders and workers may have been made by cellphone or radio, Moore said.

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