The six construction workers who are still missing after the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore are all Latinos, The Baltimore Banner reported on Tuesday.
A fellow employee told the outlet that the men, who were working an overnight shift, are from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico. All are in their 30s and 40s and have spouses and children.
The Maryland Transportation Authority said the men were repairing potholes when the Dali ship crashed into the bridge, causing it to collapse.
Eight construction workers fell into the Patapsco River. Two of them were rescued -one is in stable condition, the other is critical- with the remaining six unaccounted for. Authorities are still looking for them, with Maryland Governor Wes Moore adding that "there is not a single resource that the state will hold off on deploying."
"This is an excruciating day for several families who went to bed last night having it be a normal night and woke up today to news that no one wants to receive," said Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. "They are hoping and praying, and we are hoping and praying with them."
Jesus Campos, an employee of contractor Brawner Builders, told The Baltimore Banner that the men "came to the city for a better life — not necessarily for themselves, but for the loved ones they left behind in their home countries. They are all hard-working, humble men," he said.
WATCH: Here's the moment a major bridge in Baltimore collapsed after being struck by a ship. https://t.co/rZ6N8TDldx pic.twitter.com/F49cY4zVjP
— Axios (@axios) March 26, 2024
President Joe Biden said the federal government intends to help rebuild the bridge. Stressing the importance of the 15,000 jobs the Baltimore port provides, he added that his administration will "do everything we can to protect those jobs and help those workers."
"It's going to take some time, but the people of Baltimore can count on us though to stick with them every step of the way, 'til the port is reopened and the bridge is rebuilt," said Biden. "We're not leaving until this job gets done."
The vessel that caused the crash, called Dali, had left a port in Baltimore and was headed to Sri Lanka. Shipping giant Maersk confirmed the ship was charted to transport its customers' cargo.
The ship, operated and managed by a company called Synergy Group, said the ship had "collided with one of the pillars of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, Baltimore whilst under pilotage with two pilots onboard."
It added that all its crew members were accounted for and that there were no injuries or pollution. Synergy said the exact cause of the accident still wasn't clear and that the company was cooperating with government agencies.
The FBI ruled that there was no terrorist motive for the incident.
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