A cargo ship collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing it to collapse while seven workers were carrying out maintenance work on it. Among the workers were three Mexican nationals. The ship lost power five minutes before the collision and lost all power to the engine and steering two minutes before the crash. Two minutes before impact, the ship radioed to the bridge, warning of an imminent collision. Maryland State Government officials evacuated civilians from the bridge but were not able to rescue the construction workers. According to CNN, two workers were saved, but one of them is in critical condition while the other is stable.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have ruled out terrorism as the cause of the incident. They suspect that the collision was due to either human error or a malfunction in the ship. The NTSB will lead the investigation, and search and rescue operations have been halted.
Unfortunately, the remaining construction workers died shortly after the collision. As the ship is Singaporean, the government of Singapore will also conduct an investigation into the bridge collapse. Updates on the incident are still forthcoming, and our thoughts are with the families of the victims. We hope those who use the bridge for work and other purposes can adjust to the situation.
During an interview with Jayden Aargon, he expressed his sadness, especially for the three Mexican nationals who were among the victims. As someone with Mexican family members, he couldn’t imagine the pain their families must be going through. These workers came to the US in search of employment to support their families, and they didn’t deserve to have their lives cut short in such a tragic way.
