Following Tuesday morning's devastating tragedy in Baltimore, police have confirmed that two people were rescued from the waters.
Tragically, officials also revealed six individuals are still missing and are presumed dead at this time.
The tragedy unfolded shortly after 1:00AM on Tuesday in Baltimore, Maryland, following a collision between a cargo ship and the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
The vessel involved in the collision, identified as the Dali, struck a pillar of the bridge approximately 30 minutes after embarking on its 27-day voyage to Sri Lanka while laden with cargo.
Initially, eight individuals were reported missing, with the incident resulting in two individuals being plunged into the water.
US Coast Guard and Maryland State Police officials have confirmed that one person is currently in a critical condition. The other individual declined medical attention.
The rescue for the six other individuals was called off after 18 hours. All six of the missing individuals have been identified as men and all construction workers.
"Given the duration of our search efforts, the extensive resources deployed, and considering the water temperature, we regrettably do not anticipate locating these individuals alive," stated Coast Guard rear admiral Shannon Gilreath, who is helping to oversee the operation.
"While the Coast Guard and our collaborating agencies remain committed to the search, we are transitioning into a different phase," the official added. "The Coast Guard’s not going away, none of our partners are going away, but we’re just going to transition into a different phase."
The incident has forced the closure of one of the busiest ports on the US Eastern Seaboard, Reuters reports.
In response to the tragedy, President Joe Biden said on Tuesday: "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."
What do we know about the Francis Scott Key Bridge?
The metal truss-style bridge at the center of this story was one of three ways to cross the Baltimore Harbor and saw around 31,000 vehicles cross it a day - that's a staggering 11.3 million vehicles a year.
Opening in 1977, the now-destroyed structure had four lanes and sat 185 feet above the Patapsco River. It spanned 1.6 miles (2.6 km).
Francis Scott Key wrote 'The Star-Spangled Banner' aboard a British ship sailing the Patapsco River during the War of 1812. These days, a red, white, and blue buoy marks the spot where the ship (HMS Tonnant) was anchored at the time.
Our thoughts go out to everybody impacted by this tragedy at this time.
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