BALTIMORE – The search for six construction workers turned to a recovery effort Tuesday night, following a collapse at Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge. The span was struck by a cargo ship early Tuesday morning.
The six men were working for Brawner Builders, filling potholes on the center span of the bridge, at the time of the collapse.
The men, who are now presumed dead, are from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico, and were living in Dundalk and Highlandtown, according to our media partners at The Baltimore Banner. The Guatemalan Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed two of the men were from Guatemala, according to a Tuesday evening news release.
The Banner reports the men are in their 30s and 40s and have spouses and children.
“They are all hard-working, humble men,” the Banner was told by an employee at the company.
One of the missing workers from El Salvador was identified as Miguel Luna by the nonprofit organization CASA.
“He is a husband, a father of three, and has called Maryland his home for over 19 years,” CASA executive director Gustavo Torres said in a statement Tuesday night, noting Luna was a “longtime member of the CASA family.”
Honduras’ Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Antonio García told The Associated Press a Honduran citizen, Maynor Yassir Suazo Sandoval, was missing. García said he’d been in contact with Suazo’s family.
The Mexican Embassy in Washington said there were Mexicans among the six as well.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed early Tuesday after a support column was hit by a large container ship that had lost power, sending vehicles and people into the Patapsco River, authorities said.
Two other workers were rescued from the water. One was not hurt; the other was hospitalized but later released.
“This was so completely unforeseen,” Jeffrey Pritzker, executive vice president of Brawner Builders, told The Associated Press. “We don’t know what else to say. We take such great pride in safety, and we have cones and signs and lights and barriers and flaggers. But we never foresaw that the bridge would collapse.”
Amanda Smith is a dedicated U.S. correspondent with a passion for uncovering the stories that shape the nation. With a background in political science, she provides in-depth analysis and insightful commentary on domestic affairs, ensuring readers are well-informed about the latest developments across the United States.
