Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse: What we know about the victims
Francis Scott Key Bridge collapses Jesus Campos, an employee of Brawner Builders, said his coworkers and friends were on the Key Bridge when it collapsed on Tuesday, March 26, 2024, in Baltimore. (Emily Opilo/Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
ByTheresa Seiger, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
BALTIMORE — Two people have died and four others are presumed dead after a cargo ship hit a column supporting the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore early on Tuesday morning, plunging the 1.6-mile span into the water.
Authorities said the six are construction workers who were filling potholes on the bridge when it collapsed. Most of them worked for Brawner Builders, a company based in Hunt Valley, according to The Baltimore Sun.
“We have seven wonderful employees who were on the bridge when it collapsed, six of whom are presumed dead,” the company’s executive vice president, Jeffrey Pritzker, told the Sun on Tuesday night. “It’s a terrible, terrible unforeseen tragedy. … None of us could have imagined this could happen. We are all kind of shocked and distressed.”
Jesus Campos, an employee of Brawner Builders, told The Baltimore Banner that he had worked the overnight shift on the bridge before switching to another. He said his missing coworkers are all men in their 30s and 40s who have spouses and children.
2 men confirmed dead: Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes and Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera
Authorities confirmed Wednesday that two bodies were pulled from a red pickup truck found in the water following the bridge collapse. They were identified as Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, 35, and Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, 26.
Hernandez Fuentes was from Mexico, Politico reported. Guatemalan officials said Castillo Cabrera was from San Luis, Petén.
Earlier, officials in both countries said they were in contact with the victims’ families.
El Salvador native Miguel Luna, who has lived in Maryland for more than 19 years, is one of the six workers missing following the collapse, according to CASA, an organization that supports immigrants and their families. Officials with the group said Luna left for work on Monday evening and never returned home.
He is married with three children and has been a longtime member of CASA, the organization said.
Luna’s wife, María del Carmen Castellón, told Telemundo 44 that his family was “devastated because our heart is broken, because we don’t know if they’ve rescued them yet. We’re just waiting to hear any news.”
Maynor Yassir Suazo Sandoval, 38, also missing
Family members identified Maynor Yassir Suazo Sandoval as another of the missing construction workers, CNN reported.
The 38-year-old’s brother, Martin Suazo, told CNN that he learned his brother was missing early on Tuesday. He lives in Honduras, which is where Maynor Suazo was originally from.
He moved to the U.S. 18 years ago in hopes of a better life, CNN reported. He is married with two children, 18 and 5.
Honduras’ Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Antonio Garcia also confirmed to The Associated Press that Maynor Suazo is among those missing. He told the news agency that he has been in contact with Maynor Suazo’s family.
Los rostros de los inmigrantes fallecidos en derrumbe de puente en Baltimore https://t.co/AqP8noPXEz
1 Mexican among those missing; 1 identified as survivor
One person from Mexico is among the four people who remain missing, according to Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A second Mexican was injured in the bridge collapse but survived, authorities said.
Officials did not identify either person. The surviving worker, who is recovering from his injuries, is also from Michoacán, officials said.
At a news conference on Wednesday morning, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said officials had made contact with families impacted by the bridge collapse.
“They are being supported,” he said. “There is assistance from the diplomatic corps in Baltimore, Washington, they are working with them.”
▶️ At this morning’s press conference, the President of Mexico expressed his sorrow for the two Mexican nationals who are still reported missing by local authorities after the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland.
A 35-year-old man from Guatemala is believed to be missing after Tuesday’s bridge collapse, according to the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The man is from Camotán, Chiquimula, officials said. They did not identify him, though they said officials were in contact with his brother.
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Bridge collapse The Dali container vessel after striking the Francis Scott Key Bridge that collapsed into the Patapsco River in Baltimore, Maryland, US, on Tuesday, March 26, 2024. The commuter bridge collapsed after being rammed by the Dali ship, causing vehicles to plunge into the water. Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images (Bloomberg/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Bridge collapse The steel frame of the Francis Scott Key Bridge sit on the water after it collapsed in Baltimore, Maryland, on March 26, 2024. The bridge collapsed after being struck by a container ship, sending multiple vehicles and up to 20 people plunging into the harbor below. "Unfortunately, we understand that there were up to 20 individuals who may be in the Patapsco River right now as well as multiple vehicles," Kevin Cartwright of the Baltimore Fire Department told CNN. Ship monitoring website MarineTraffic showed a Singapore-flagged container ship called the Dali stopped under the bridge. (Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP) (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images) (JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)
Bridge collapse The Dali container vessel after striking the Francis Scott Key Bridge that collapsed into the Patapsco River in Baltimore, Maryland, US, on Tuesday, March 26, 2024. The commuter bridge collapsed after being rammed by the Dali ship, causing vehicles to plunge into the water. Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images (Bloomberg/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Bridge collapse The Dali container vessel after striking the Francis Scott Key Bridge that collapsed into the Patapsco River in Baltimore, Maryland, US, on Tuesday, March 26, 2024. The commuter bridge collapsed after being rammed by the Dali ship, causing vehicles to plunge into the water. Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images (Bloomberg/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Bridge collapse The Dali container vessel after striking the Francis Scott Key Bridge that collapsed into the Patapsco River in Baltimore, Maryland, US, on Tuesday, March 26, 2024. The commuter bridge collapsed after being rammed by the Dali ship, causing vehicles to plunge into the water. Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images (Bloomberg/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Bridge collapse The collapsed steel frame of the Francis Scott Key Bridge and a section of the roadway still upright (L) sit on the water after the bridge collapsed in Baltimore, Maryland, on March 26, 2024. The bridge collapsed after being struck by a container ship, sending multiple vehicles and up to 20 people plunging into the harbor below. "Unfortunately, we understand that there were up to 20 individuals who may be in the Patapsco River right now as well as multiple vehicles," Kevin Cartwright of the Baltimore Fire Department told CNN. Ship monitoring website MarineTraffic showed a Singapore-flagged container ship called the Dali stopped under the bridge. (Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP) (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images) (JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)
Bridge collapse The steel frame of the Francis Scott Key Bridge sit on the water after it collapsed in Baltimore, Maryland, on March 26, 2024. The bridge collapsed after being struck by a container ship, sending multiple vehicles and up to 20 people plunging into the harbor below. "Unfortunately, we understand that there were up to 20 individuals who may be in the Patapsco River right now as well as multiple vehicles," Kevin Cartwright of the Baltimore Fire Department told CNN. Ship monitoring website MarineTraffic showed a Singapore-flagged container ship called the Dali stopped under the bridge. (Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP) (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images) (JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)
Bridge collapse The steel frame of the Francis Scott Key Bridge sits on top of a container ship after it struck the bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, on March 26, 2024. The collapsed sent multiple vehicles and up to 20 people plunging into the harbor below. "Unfortunately, we understand that there were up to 20 individuals who may be in the Patapsco River right now as well as multiple vehicles," Kevin Cartwright of the Baltimore Fire Department told CNN. Ship monitoring website MarineTraffic showed a Singapore-flagged container ship called the Dali stopped under the bridge. (Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT / AFP) (Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty Images) (ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty Images)
Bridge collapse The steel frame of the Francis Scott Key Bridge sits on top of a container ship after it struck the bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, on March 26, 2024. The collapsed sent multiple vehicles and up to 20 people plunging into the harbor below. "Unfortunately, we understand that there were up to 20 individuals who may be in the Patapsco River right now as well as multiple vehicles," Kevin Cartwright of the Baltimore Fire Department told CNN. Ship monitoring website MarineTraffic showed a Singapore-flagged container ship called the Dali stopped under the bridge. (Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT / AFP) (Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty Images) (ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty Images)
Bridge collapse Baltimore Fire Department Chief James Wallace, with Police Commissioner Richard Worley (R) and Mayor Brandon Scott (2nd R), speaks at a press conference on the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge Baltimore, Maryland, on March 26, 2024. The bridge collapsed early March 26 after being struck by a container ship, sending multiple vehicles and up to 20 people plunging into the harbor below. "Unfortunately, we understand that there were up to 20 individuals who may be in the Patapsco River right now as well as multiple vehicles," Kevin Cartwright of the Baltimore Fire Department told CNN. Ship monitoring website MarineTraffic showed a Singapore-flagged container ship called the Dali stopped under the bridge. (Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP) (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images) (JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)
Bridge collapse A section of the roadway still stands after the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge after it was struck by a container ship, in Baltimore, Maryland, on March 26, 2024. The collapsed sent multiple vehicles and up to 20 people plunging into the harbor below. "Unfortunately, we understand that there were up to 20 individuals who may be in the Patapsco River right now as well as multiple vehicles," Kevin Cartwright of the Baltimore Fire Department told CNN. Ship monitoring website MarineTraffic showed a Singapore-flagged container ship called the Dali stopped under the bridge. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP) (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images) (MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
Bridge collapse A US Coast Guard helicopter flies over the Dali container vessel after it struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge that collapsed into the Patapsco River in Baltimore, Maryland, US, on Tuesday, March 26, 2024. The commuter bridge collapsed after being rammed by the Dali ship, causing vehicles to plunge into the water. Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images (Bloomberg/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Bridge collapse TOPSHOT - The steel frame of the Francis Scott Key Bridge sits on top of a container ship after it struck the bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, on March 26, 2024. The collapsed sent multiple vehicles and up to 20 people plunging into the harbor below. "Unfortunately, we understand that there were up to 20 individuals who may be in the Patapsco River right now as well as multiple vehicles," Kevin Cartwright of the Baltimore Fire Department told CNN. Ship monitoring website MarineTraffic showed a Singapore-flagged container ship called the Dali stopped under the bridge. (Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT / AFP) (Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty Images) (ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty Images)
Bridge collapse The Dali container vessel after striking the Francis Scott Key Bridge that collapsed into the Patapsco River in Baltimore, Maryland, US, on Tuesday, March 26, 2024. The commuter bridge collapsed after being rammed by the Dali ship, causing vehicles to plunge into the water. Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images (Bloomberg/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Bridge collapse The steel frame of the Francis Scott Key Bridge sits on top of a container ship after it struck the bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, on March 26, 2024. The collapsed sent multiple vehicles and up to 20 people plunging into the harbor below. "Unfortunately, we understand that there were up to 20 individuals who may be in the Patapsco River right now as well as multiple vehicles," Kevin Cartwright of the Baltimore Fire Department told CNN. Ship monitoring website MarineTraffic showed a Singapore-flagged container ship called the Dali stopped under the bridge. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP) (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images) (MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
Bridge collapse The steel frame of the Francis Scott Key Bridge sits on top of a container ship after it struck the bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, on March 26, 2024. The collapsed sent multiple vehicles and up to 20 people plunging into the harbor below. "Unfortunately, we understand that there were up to 20 individuals who may be in the Patapsco River right now as well as multiple vehicles," Kevin Cartwright of the Baltimore Fire Department told CNN. Ship monitoring website MarineTraffic showed a Singapore-flagged container ship called the Dali stopped under the bridge. (Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT / AFP) (Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty Images) (ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty Images)
Bridge collapse The steel frame of the Francis Scott Key Bridge sits on top of a container ship after it struck the bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, on March 26, 2024. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)
Key Bridge in Baltimore collapses (Anadolu/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Bridge collapse The steel frame of the Francis Scott Key Bridge sits on top of a container ship after it struck the bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, on March 26, 2024. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)
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