Tuesday morning, Americans woke to tragedy as the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Maryland collapsed after an apparently-accidental collision, just days after the 47th anniversary of the bridge’s opening in 1977.
President Joe Biden and his administration are moving quickly to provide resources, and rescue crews were on hand immediately after the incident. Biden says that he’ll work to make sure the federal government supplies everything Baltimore needs and covers the entire cost of repair.
Biden shared that as of the time of his announcement, he had been told that there were intially 8 victims unaccounted for, and that two have been recovered, one in critical condition. These victims appear to be part of a construction crew that was on the bridge to fix potholes, as a mayday signal from a boat that collided with a bridge support warned officials in enough time to stop traffic and evacuate vehicles from the bridge.
Biden said he’s received no information suggesting this was anything but a terrible accident, and offered empathy and prayers to the families waiting to hear about their missing loved ones. He said that the search and rescue effort is the current top priority, and also recognized the ongoing implications of the accident. He said:
“The port of Baltimore is one of the nation’s largest shipping hubs…it handles a record amount of cargo, also handling the most important exports of automobiles and light trucks. 850,000 vehicles go through the port every single year. We will get it up and running as soon as possible. 15,000 jobs depend on that port. We will do everything we can to protect those jobs and help those workers.”
Biden acknowledged that, as a reporter suggested, it’s possible an insurance company for the ship may be ultimately legally responsible for the damages, but said he’s not willing to make the people of Baltimore — and every worker or American who relies on the goods and services passing through that hub — to wait until that is determined.
Instead, he plans to get federal efforts underway immediately, and sort out any possible insurance reimbursement later.
He spoke as he was leaving to travel to North Carolina, where he’s scheduled to hold press and campaign events, and said that he will be heading to Baltimore himself as soon as possible and appropriate.
Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott has declared a state of emergency, which will last at least 30 days, and said local, federal, and state resources have already mobilized to manage the incident, “especially the ongoing search-and-rescue” mission.
Maryland State Police are asking motorists to plan alternate routes and expect increased transit times, and to especially avoid impaired or distracted driving at this time.
You can watch President Biden’s full statement below:
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