Baltimore bridge collapse: Bodies of two victims recovered, after audio of first responder call emerged

The bodies of two victims of the Baltimore bridge collapse have been recovered, authorities have said.

Four people are still missing and are presumed dead.

Earlier, audio emerged of a first responder call as officials halted traffic on both sides of the Francis Scott Key Bridge moments before it collapsed.

The cargo ship had issued a mayday call to alert authorities it had lost power before it collided with the Baltimore bridge on Tuesday morning.

Following the call, Maryland Transportation Authority Police Dispatch and Response officials acted swiftly, shutting down the north and south sides of the bridge.

In the audio, one official instructs: “Hold all traffic on the Key Bridge… There’s a ship approaching that just lost their steering so until we get that under control, we’ve got to stop all traffic.

“Make sure no one’s on the bridge right now. There’s a crew up there… You might want to notify the foreman to see if we can get them off the bridge temporarily.”

Another responds saying he would “grab the workers” but it was too late.

A second later, a voice is heard saying: “The whole bridge just fell down. Start, start whoever… everybody. The whole bridge just collapsed.”

In other developments, investigators at the National Safety Transportation Board have confirmed that the cargo ship’s data recorder has now been recovered – and they are examining whether contaminated fuel played a role in the crash.

The Dali ship ploughed into one of the bridge’s supports and, in an instant, the 1.6-mile-long structure had fallen into the Patapsco River, along with vehicles and workers who were on it at the time.

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Officials say the rescue mission for the group has now become a recovery operation.

It comes as Miguel Luna, from El Salvador, was named as one of the six people on the Francis Scott Key Bridge when it collapsed.

All 22 crew members on board the ship, including the two pilots, have been accounted for and there were no reports of injuries.

Maryland Governor Wes Moore said he spoke to the families of the victims, assuring them since the mission had transitioned from search and rescue to recovery he would “put every possible resource to bring [them] a sense of closure”.

He praised the “true heroism” of the first responders who “saved countless lives that night”.

Mr Moore also said he was “overwhelmed” by the amount of support from both the Democratic and Republican parties as he stressed the importance of getting the bridge rebuilt.

How did the Baltimore bridge collapse unfold?

Here we take a look at a timeline of the collapse on Tuesday 26 March and the events that followed in local time.

1.04am. A 289m-long container ship, named the Dali, departs from Baltimore’s port and is headed to Colombo in Sri Lanka.

1.24am. Footage shows the Dali slowly approaching the bridge.

1.24am and 33 seconds. The enormous vessel appears to suffer a total power failure as all its lights go out.

1.25am and 31 seconds. About a minute later, the ship’s lights flicker back on but black smoke starts rising from somewhere aboard the ship.

1.26am and 37 seconds. The ship’s lights go dark again.

Sometime after this point the cargo ship issued a mayday call to alert authorities it had lost power. US President Joe Biden later said this “undoubtedly saved lives” as it meant local authorities were able to close the bridge.

1.27am. Dali appears to be colliding with one of the Key Bridge’s upright supports. The U.S. Coast Guard receives first report of collision.

1.27am and 10 seconds. The ship’s lights come back on.

1.28am and 48 seconds. The road surface and steel beams of the Key Bridge begin collapsing – with footage later showing the structure crashing into the water along with vehicles that were on it.

1.29am. Most of the bridge’s span has plunged beneath the water.

1.40am. Baltimore City Fire Department dispatched rescue teams for the Patapsco River, with reports of multiple people in the water. Six missing people were later presumed dead before a recovery operation got under way.

Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden has promised that he will visit Baltimore “as soon as possible”, adding that the federal government will cover the “full cost” of rebuilding the bridge – which experts say could be over $600m (£474m).

He told reporters: “Everything so far indicates that this was a terrible accident. At this time we have no other indication, no other reason to believe there’s any intentional act here.

“Personnel on board the ship were able to alert the Maryland Department of Transportation that they had lost control of their vessel.”

Mr Biden added that this meant local authorities were able to close the bridge before it was struck, which “undoubtedly saved lives”.

He continued: “Our prayers are with everyone involved in this terrible accident and all the families [affected], especially those waiting for news of their loved one right now. I know every minute in that circumstance feels like a lifetime.”

The Key Bridge carries the Interstate 695 highway over the Patapsco River southeast of the Baltimore metropolitan area.

Its main section spans 1,200 feet and was one of the longest continuous truss bridges in the world upon its completion, according to the National Steel Bridge Alliance.

The Dali was previously involved in a minor incident when it hit a quay at the Port of Antwerp in Belgium in 2016, where it was damaged, according to Vessel Finder and maritime accident site Shipwrecklog.

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