March 27, 2024 - Baltimore Key Bridge collapse

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.

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

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.

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.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said investigations continue on what happened on the ship and there are no declarative answers on possible power challenges or issues on the Dali.

Baltimore's mayor asked for people to have "a little bit of decency and respect" when it comes to online discourse about the fatal bridge collapse.

The head of Maryland State Police announced earlier that dive teams recovered the bodies of two people in the river on Wednesday. At least four other people are unaccounted for and presumed dead, the Coast Guard said.

If anyone is found liable in the events that led to the collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge, they will be pursued to add funds to the cost-share in rebuilding, US Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland said Wednesday evening.

Maryland officials are working on plans to reconstruct the Francis Scott Key Bridge after it collapsed earlier this week, Sen. Ben Cardin said.

Cardin thanked the Biden administration and federal partners for their help so far. He called on Congress to "provide the necessary authorizations, support and resources to make this recovery complete and that we can move as quickly as possible."

He said, still, the top priority is to reopen the shipping lanes and minimize harm to the economy.

Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras are the countries of origin for the six people who are presumed dead following the bridge collapse, Col. Roland L. Butler Jr., the superintendent of Maryland State Police, said Wednesday at a news conference.

Maryland has submitted a request to President Joe Biden's administration for emergency relief funds "to assist in our work going forward," Gov. Wes Moore said Wednesday.

Moore said he spoke to Biden Wednesday by phone.

Remember: Biden pledged the full support of the federal government in the response and recovery efforts after Tuesday’s collapse. His administration has already conveyed a sense of urgency to open up federal funding to remove debris and ultimately rebuild the bridge.

The collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge is a global crisis, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said, re-iterating the importance of the bridge in global trade and economy.