Baltimore Bridge Collapse

Maryland: US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg emphasised that the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, which collapsed earlier on Tuesday, was not an ordinary bridge and was one of the cathedrals of American infrastructure and added that the path to normalcy will not be easy.

The Singapore-flagged vessel collided with one of the pillars of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Maryland, leading to its collapse on Tuesday.

Following the collapse, the US Secretary of Transportation said that bringing everything back to normal would not be quick and inexpensive.

"This is no ordinary bridge. This is one of the cathedrals of American infrastructure. It has been part of the skyline of this region for longer than many of us have been alive. So the path to normalcy will not be easy. It will not be quick, and it will not be inexpensive, but we will build together in order to make sure that happens," he said.

"We are all putting our arms around the community of Baltimore, and that is true for all of this country," Buttigieg said.

He further noted that he has heard from counterparts as far away as the UK reaching out to express their support for the people of Baltimore.

Moreover, Buttigieg is in close contact with the governor, the mayor, the county leadership, and the congressional delegation.

"As President Biden has made clear, the federal government will provide all of the support that they need for as long as it takes," he said.

The US president's plan is to work with everyone here to rebuild this bridge and reopen this port, "including our readiness as a department to approve emergency funding as soon as we receive that request," he added.

Meanwhile, the US Maritime Administration will help with harbour port, harbor and supply chain operations.

"The Federal Aviation Administration is even involved, working to keep the airspace above the bridge clear for emergency personnel," he said.

But today, they are most acutely focused on the emergency operations underway and on the families that have been impacted.

A local resident of Baltimore, Crystal Pears, said that if the bridge had collapsed later in the day, it would have been a tragedy as thousands of people commute through that bridge.

She further highlighted that the bridge has a very strong history in America.

"It's where our national anthem, the Star-Spangled Banner, comes from. It's named after Francis Scott Key, who is the writer of our national anthem," she highlighted.

Pears added that the bridge was built 47 years ago, hence, there's a lot of sentimentality in the community about the bridge.

"People who live in this community, their grandparents and their parents helped build that bridge 47 years ago, and it just hit its birthday this month. So there's a lot of sentimentality in the community," she said.

"At around 1:30 am, I heard the noise and it was vibrating in the house... it only happened for, like, 5 seconds. I was really scared...My brother came and told me that the bridge had fallen," she said.

The Indian Embassy in the US shared their dedicated hotline number for those affected or who require assistance.

A 948-foot container ship smashed into a four-lane bridge in the US port of Baltimore.

Earlier today, US President Joe Biden said that eight people were unaccounted for after the Baltimore Bridge collapse, out of which two have been rescued, while the rescue operation is ongoing for the remaining six.

Biden also said that the ship traffic in the port of Baltimore has been suspended until further notice and the channel will be cleared before the ship traffic resumes again.