Baltimore bridge collapse: ‘We’re with you’, says Biden as six people still missing
President Biden has promised that he will visit Baltimore “as soon as possible” where six people are still unaccounted for after a major bridge collapsed when a cargo ship hit it.
“People of Baltimore, we’re with you,” he said, as he added the search and rescue operation was a “top priority”.
The US president said the federal government will cover the “full cost” of rebuilding the bridge. He said it may emerge a private company was responsible for the disaster, but his government is “not going to wait” to begin the rebuilding process.
He told reporters at the White House: “It’s my intention that the federal government will pay for the entire cost of reconstructing that bridge and I expect Congress to support my effort.”
Mr Biden continued: “Everything so far indicates that this was a terrible accident. At this time have we no other indication, no other reason to believe there’s any intentional act here.
“Personnel on board the ship were able to alert the Maryland Department of Transportation that they had lost control of their vessel.”
The president added that this meant local authorities were able to close the bridge before it was struck which “undoubtedly saved lives”.
He continued: “Our prayers are with everyone involved in this terrible accident and all the families (affected), especially those waiting for news of their loved one right now. I know every minute in that circumstance feels like a lifetime.”
The US president said the search and rescue operation remains the “top priority” but authorities will be working to get the port open again as soon as possible.
The Port of Baltimore, which is accessed or departed by going underneath the bridge, is one of the US’ largest shipping hubs.
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Everything we know about the Baltimore bridge collapse.
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‘They thought it was an earthquake’
Mr Biden said 15,000 jobs depend on the port. “We’re going to do everything we can to protect those jobs,” he added.
He continued: “I’ve directed my team to move heaven and earth to reopen the port and rebuild the bridge as soon as humanly possible.”
The 1.6-mile long Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed into the Patapsco River after it was hit by a 289m-long cargo ship at 1.30am local time (5.30am UK time) on Tuesday.
Six people remain unaccounted for after dramatic footage showed vehicles falling from the structure as the road surface and steel beams crashed into the water.
Baltimore bridge latest: Follow live updates
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Timeline of Baltimore bridge collapse
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Aerial view of Baltimore bridge crash
In an update on Tuesday afternoon, Wes Moore, governor of Baltimore, and Paul Wiedefeld, secretary of the Maryland Transport Authority, said those still missing are believed to be construction workers who were on the bridge fixing potholes.
Two people were rescued from the water with one of them described as being in a “very serious condition” in hospital. The other was not injured.
Baltimore fire department’s communications chief Kevin Cartwright has said there were multiple vehicles on the bridge when it was struck by the ship, one of which was the size of a tractor trailer.
Rescue ongoing as cars and people fall into water after ship strike causes bridge to collapse
CCTV and marine tracking data shows the ship, known as the Dali, lost power, adjusted its course and started smoking about 60 seconds before it hit the bridge.
According to the timings on the CCTV, the vessel hit the structure at 1.28:44am – with the bridge collapsing four seconds later.
All 22 crew members on board the ship, including the two pilots, have been accounted for and there were no reports of injuries.
Tune into a special edition of The World with Yalda Hakim on Sky News tonight at 9pm.
Thousands of people gathered in various cities across the US as protests against Donald Trump and Elon Musk took place in all 50 states on Saturday.
Around 1,200 demonstrations were planned in locations including Washington DC, New York City and West Palm Beach, Florida – just miles away from where the US president has this weekend played golf.
The “Hands Off!” protests were against the Trump administration’s handling of government downsizing, human rights and the economy, among other issues.
In Washington DC, protesters streamed on the grass in front of the Washington Monument, where one person carried a banner which read: “Make democracy great again.”
Thousands gathered in Washington DC to rally against various Trump policies. Pic: AP
Pic: AP
Another protester took aim at Mr Trump‘s handling of Russia and Ukraine, with a placard that read: “Stop Putin’s puppets from destroying America.”
Tesla boss Mr Musk also featured on many signs due to his role in controversial government cuts as head of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Demonstrators in NYC. Pic: AP
People marching in Atlanta, Georgia. Pic: Reuters
A rally in Vermont. Pic: The Brattleboro Reformer via AP
Terry Klein, a retired biomedical scientist, said she drove to the rally to protest Mr Trump’s policies on “everything from immigration to the DOGE stuff to the tariffs this week, to education”.
“I mean, our whole country is under attack, all of our institutions, all the things that make America what it is,” she added.
A drone view of the protest at the Utah State Capitol building. Pic Reuters
A protester sports a Handmaid’s Tale costume. Pic: Reuters
Pic: Reuters
Some at the various protests carried Ukrainian flags, while others sported rainbow attire and waved rainbow flags in support of the LGBTQ+ community.
Other protesters wore Palestinian keffiyeh scarves and carried “Free Palestine” signs.
Thousands marched in New York City’s midtown Manhattan and in Boston, Massachusetts, while hundreds gathered in the sunshine outside the Utah State Capitol building in Salt Lake City, and in the rain outside the Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio.
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Mr Trump – who shook financial markets with his tariffs announcement this week – spent the day in Florida, playing a round of golf before returning to his Mar-a-Lago residence.
People protest in Manhattan. Pic: Reuters
Activists in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Pic: AP
Some four miles from Mar-a-Lago, more than 400 people gathered – and drivers honked their horns in support of protesters who held up signs including one which read: “Markets tank, Trump golfs.”
The White House has said Mr Trump plans to go golfing again on Sunday.
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