News summary of the Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore on March 28

Crews at work removing steel structure From Francis Scott Key Bridge The cargo ship faced an “incredibly complex task” necessary to reopen the Port of Baltimore and recover the wreckage, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said Thursday.

“When you get a chance to see them up close, you fully understand the enormity of the challenge,” Moore told a news conference, adding: “Our timeline is going to be long.”

The largest crane on the East Coast arrived Thursday night to help remove the debris, Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen said, and the secretary of state said three more heavy ships will begin arriving this Friday. Transportation, Pete Buttigieg, for CNN.

Maryland officials are working “at full speed” to reopen the critical shipping channel and resume traffic through the port, the largest in the U.S. for cars and light trucks. Registration of 850,000 vehicles Last year, according to Moore. However, “we have a very long road ahead of us,” he said.

The cargo ship, roughly the length of the Eiffel Tower, contains 4,000 tons of steel structures and has since collided with the Key Bridge early Tuesday, sending a crew of eight construction workers into the water.

Only two workers survived, and the bodies of two were later retrieved from the water. Officials believe a tangle of steel and concrete entombed the remains of four other construction workers, and they say the debris must be removed before divers can safely search the area.

Recovery efforts will be a top priority, Moore said, adding that “it's their duty to give these families a sense of closure.”

Officials are conducting a full assessment of the wreckage before it is removed from the water, said US Coast Guard Rear Adm. Shannon Gilreath. This estimate is necessary to determine the size of the bridge pieces that need to be cut so that the cranes can lift them, he said.

According to Moore, more than 730 meters of booms have also been deployed to contain potential pollution spillage from the vessel. National Transportation Safety Board investigators said the 56 containers on board contained hazardous materials, mostly corrosive and flammable materials, and some lithium-ion batteries.

Read the full memo here.