Baltimore Bridge Collapse: 2 Bodies Recovered, Retrieval Efforts Suspended

Washington: Two bodies of the six workers, who went missing after Francis Scott Key Bridge in US' Baltimore collapsed after a cargo ship collided with it on Tuesday, were recovered by divers, reported news agency Reuters citing the Maryland Secretary of State Police. 

The deceased were identified as Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, 35, of Baltimore, and Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, 26, of nearby Dundalk. According to Reuters, the remains were found inside a pickup truck. The truck was submerged in about 25 feet (7.62 metres) of water near the mid-section of the fallen bridge. Meanwhile, the retrieval efforts have been suspended due to unpredictable dangers in the waters.

Search operations were launched soon after the tragic incident was reported. Divers were roped in to track the missing people.  

Investigators began collecting evidence on Wednesday from the cargo ship that plowed into the Bridge and leading to its collapse, while in the waters below divers searched through twisted metal for six construction workers who plunged into the harbor and were feared dead.

The probe gained momentum as the Baltimore region reeled from the sudden loss of a major transportation link that's part of the highway loop around the city. The disaster also closed the port that is vital to the city's shipping industry.

Officials with the National Transportation Safety Board boarded the ship and planned to recover information from its electronics and paperwork, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said.

The agency also is reviewing the voyage data recorder recovered by the Coast Guard and building a timeline of what led to the crash, which federal and state officials have said appeared to be an accident.

(With inputs from agencies)