Baltimore bridge collapse: Audio of first responder call emerges - 'the whole bridge just fell down'

An audio recording has surfaced of a dispatch call made by a member of the first responder team. This call was made when the officials decided to block the traffic on both ends of the Francis Scott Key Bridge just moments before it collapsed.

The freight vessel sent out an emergency distress signal to notify the authorities that it had an issue with its power source before it smashed into the Baltimore bridge on Tuesday morning.

After receiving the call, the Maryland Transportation Authority Police Dispatch and Response officials immediately took action by closing the north and south portions of the bridge.

Explore further: All the information we have on the catastrophe Initial absent employee identified

The recording captures a government authority directing everyone to stop moving on the Key Bridge. He mentions a vessel that has recently encountered issues with its steering. As a result, they cannot allow any vehicles or individuals to cross until the problem is resolved.

Ensure there are no individuals currently located on the bridge. A team is currently situated there... It may be advisable to inform the supervisor to investigate the possibility of having them relocate from the bridge temporarily.

Someone else replied, stating that they would have "taken hold of the workers," but that the opportunity had passed.

Just moments after, a person can be heard exclaiming: "The entire bridge has crumbled down! Someone needs to take action, immediately... everyone should help!"

Additionally, experts at the National Safety Transportation Board have verified that they have obtained the cargo ship's data recorder. They are analyzing whether the crash occurred due to the use of tainted fuel.

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The Dali vessel crashed into a support of the bridge, causing the entire 1.6-mile-long structure to collapse into the Patapsco River. Those who were on the bridge, including workers and vehicles, fell into the water as a result.

According to the executive vice president of Brawner Builders, it has been confirmed that six workers who were missing after the collapse are believed to have lost their lives.

Authorities have announced that the operation to save the group has transitioned into a mission to recover their bodies.

Miguel Luna, a resident of El Salvador, was identified as one of six individuals present on the Francis Scott Key Bridge during its collapse.

All the 22 team members who were present on the vessel, comprising of two pilots, have been confirmed to be present and there were no recorded instances of any physical harm.

The Governor of Maryland, Wes Moore, recently reached out to the affected families and made a solemn promise to utilize all available resources in order to bring them a sense of finality. This pledge followed the transition of the mission from an attempt at search and rescue to recovery.

He admired the "genuine valor" of the initial responders who "rescued numerous lives on that particular evening."

According to Mr. Moore, he was pleasantly surprised by the considerable support from both the Democratic and Republican parties. He emphasized the significance of rebuilding the bridge, which left him "overwhelmed."

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At present, US President Joe Biden has made a commitment to pay a visit to Baltimore at the earliest opportunity. In addition, he has pledged that the entire expense of reconstructing the bridge will be covered by the federal government. Authorities have estimated that the cost may surpass $600m (£474m).

When questioned by journalists, he stated that there is a likelihood that this was a dreadful mishap. For the moment, there is no additional clue or justification to presume that there was a planned action involved.

The crew members who were present on the ship managed to notify the Maryland Department of Transportation regarding their inability to control the vessel.

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According to Mr Biden, the local authorities had the ability to shut down the bridge prior to it being hit, and this decision without a doubt prevented fatalities.

He went on to say, "We send our heartfelt condolences and thoughts to all those affected by this tragic incident, particularly to the families anxiously awaiting updates on their missing relatives. We understand that the waiting must feel like an eternity in such distressing circumstances."

The Patapsco River is located to the southeast of the Baltimore metropolitan area, and the Key Bridge serves as a passage for the Interstate 695 highway over the river.

According to the National Steel Bridge Alliance, the key part of the bridge measures 1,200 feet and was among the lengthiest uninterrupted truss bridges in the globe when it was finished.

According to information from Vessel Finder and Shipwrecklog, the Dali had a small accident in 2016, and it collided with the quay at the Port of Antwerp in Belgium, which resulted in damage.