Efforts to Open Baltimore Port Underway

Officials said late Wednesday that they were pausing the search for the victims and shifting efforts to clear debris and reopen the Port of Baltimore following the Tuesday collapse of the Francis Scott key Bridge, reports The New York Times. The tragedy has so far taken the lives of six and continues to affect local and national supply chains. 

The Biden administration pledged an effort to reopen the port, which typically handles up to $200 million worth of cargo, according to the report. The Coast Guard sent barges, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers sent more than 1,100 specialists to unblock the shipping lane.

The bridge collapsed after a cargo ship named The Dali hit the bridge. More than 50 of the ship’s load of 4,700 containers contained potentially hazardous materials and some containers have fallen into the water, said the Coast Guard.

Shipping experts expect the ship's owners to be forced to pay damages surpassing $1 billion.

Jennifer Homendy, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board said the ship is in “utter devastation” as it remains anchored in the Patapsco River, where the bridge is located. “We certainly have structural damage everywhere.” Full Story (Subscription Required)