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March 27, 2024 - Baltimore Key Bridge collapse

By Kathleen Magramo, Antoinette Radford, Alisha Ebrahimji, Maureen Chowdhury, Elise Hammond, Tori B. Powell and Aditi Sangal, CNN

Updated 1:47 p.m. ET, March 28, 2024

What we covered here

The bodies of two of the construction workers who died after a 984-foot-long cargo ship hit a pillar of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge have been recovered, officials said Wednesday. Search efforts have been paused for the four other workers who are presumed dead.
The investigation into the collision could take up to two years, according to National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy.
The crew first signaled trouble with the vessel when a pilot radioed for help from tugboats at about 1:26 a.m. ET Tuesday – just about three minutes before the ship hit a bridge column, the NTSB said, citing data from a voyage recorder.
The collapse has indefinitely halted the flow of ships in and out of Baltimore, and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said rebuilding the bridge won't be "quick or easy."

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8:22 p.m. ET, March 27, 2024

Hazmat investigator identified 56 containers of hazardous materials, NTSB chief says

From CNN's Aditi Sangal

A senior hazmat investigator from the National Transportation Safety Board looked at the cargo and cargo manifest today, identifying 56 containers of hazardous material, agency Chair Jennifer Homendy said Wednesday.

"He was able to identify 56 containers of hazardous materials. That's 764 tons of hazardous materials — mostly corrosives, flammables, and some miscellaneous hazardous materials, class nine hazardous materials, which would include lithium ion batteries," she said at a news briefing.

Some of the hazmat containers "were breached," she said, adding that sheen was seen on the waterway.

8:41 p.m. ET, March 27, 2024

There were 23 individuals on the cargo ship at the time of the accident, NTSB chair says

From CNN's Tori B. Powell

In an aerial view, cargo ship Dali is seen after running into and collapsing the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26, in Baltimore, Maryland. Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

There were 21 crew members and two pilots onboard the Dali cargo ship when it crashed into Baltimore's Key Bridge, according to the National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy.

The NTSB is leading the investigation, Homendy has said. The board will try to determine what occurred onboard Dali and also look at the structure of the bridge itself.

Read more about what investigators are working on here.

8:38 p.m. ET, March 27, 2024

NTSB won't provide conclusions and analysis while on scene, agency chief says

From CNN's Aditi Sangal

The National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy speaks during a press conference on Wednesday, March 27. Pool

The National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy emphasized the agency will not analyze information collected or provide conclusions while on the scene of the Key Bridge collapse.

"It's really important for folks to understand that we will not analyze any of the information we are collecting. We will not provide any sort of findings, conclusions or any safety recommendations while on scene," she said.
"Our entire focus on scene is to collect the perishable evidence — that's documenting the scene, it's taking photographs, it's taking any sort of electronics or components, whatever goes away once the scene is cleaned up," she said.

8:08 p.m. ET, March 27, 2024

NOW: NTSB is sharing updates on the Key Bridge collapse

The National Transportation Safety Board is holding a news conference to share updates about the Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore.

NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy is expected to speak.

7:59 p.m. ET, March 27, 2024

Officials pause recovery efforts for 4 workers presumed dead after bridge collapse

From CNN's Aditi Sangal and Elise Hammond

Authorities are pausing search and recovery efforts for the four additional people who are presumed dead after the bridge collapse, Col. Roland L. Butler Jr., the superintendent of Maryland State Police said Wednesday evening.

“At this point, based upon the conditions, we are now moving from a recovery mode to a salvage operation," he said.

"Because of the superstructure surrounding what we believe were the vehicles and the amount of concrete and debris, divers are no longer able to safely navigate and operate around that," he said. "We have exhausted all search efforts."

The superintendent added that based on sonar scans, officials believe that the vehicles are "encased in the superstructure and concrete" of the bridge.

Butler Jr. added that there is "no definitive timeline" for how long the salvage phase will take, once it is complete, the divers will go back to the site.

“The sonar simply said they cannot get to that area because it was fully encased in the superstructure," he said. “Once that salvage effort takes place and that superstructure is removed, those same divers are going to go back out there and bring those people closure," he added.

The headline and post have been updated with additional comments from Butler Jr.

7:41 p.m. ET, March 27, 2024

Brother of a missing person from bridge collapse describes him as "a man who dreamed big"

From CNN's Michael Rios

The brother of a person presumed dead after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed earlier this week described him as a "man who dreamed big."

"I could describe him as a dynamic person, as a visionary person, a man who dreamed big," said Martin Suazo Sandoval, brother of Maynor Suazo Sandoval.

He told CNNE in Honduras on Wednesday that his brother was an industrial mechanical technician and went to the United States to fulfill his dreams. However, after the pandemic, Maynor Suazo Sandoval had to look for an additional job to have more income and found work at a bridge supervision and maintenance company.

Martin Suazo Sandoval said his brother believed in helping people, and sponsored minor sports leagues because he believed that by "helping the children here in the town, they would have a better childhood".

Martin Suazo Sandoval said what they want most is for their brother's body to be found "so we can begin to take steps to repatriate him."

6:52 p.m. ET, March 27, 2024

First responders worked quickly to get people off bridge after first mayday call, governor says

From CNN's Elise Hammond

After the Dali ship sent out its first mayday signal, first responders leapt into action to both move people off the bridge and prevent other cars from entering it, Maryland's governor said.

They were also notifying workers who were part of a construction crew on the bridge to leave, Gov. Wes Moore said Wednesday, as officials learn more about what happened in the moments before the collision and collapse.

"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.

The governor said the ongoing investigation will reveal more of what happened and how those responders communicated with the workers. He said this particular worker who survived said he heard the warning "audibly," that the officer was telling him to move off.

7:08 p.m. ET, March 27, 2024

Officials recover bodies of 2 missing bridge workers

From CNN's Elise Hammond

Col. Roland L. Butler Jr., the head of the Maryland State Police, speaks during a press conference on Wednesday, March 27. Governor Wes Moore/Youtube

Officials have recovered the bodies of two of the missing workers who were on the Francis Scott Key bridge when it collapsed, the head of the Maryland State Police said Wednesday.

Col. Roland L. Butler Jr. said that shortly before 10 a.m. ET divers found a red pickup truck in about 25 feet of water.

“Divers recovered two victims of this tragedy trapped within the vehicle,” Butler said.

He said Maryland State Police notified the families of those found about an hour ago. Their names were given as:

Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes from Mexico
Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera from Guatemala

The workers, who were filling potholes on the bridge at the time of the incident, were from Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, officials said.

Butler Jr. confirmed that both men whose bodies were found today were working for the construction company. One was identified by a driver’s license in his pocket, the other was identified by fingerprint, he said.

The post has been updated with more details from the news conference, including the correct spelling of the victims' names after an update from authorities.

6:27 p.m. ET, March 27, 2024

An inspector overseeing work was among those who fell into the water, officials say

From CNN's Tori B. Powell

An inspector who was contracted by the state of Maryland with an engineering firm overseeing work was among victims that fell into the water following the Key Bridge collapse, according to Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul J. Wiedefeld.