BALTIMORE | An “incredibly complex” and crucial operation for the United States economy: American authorities detailed on Friday the extent of the means deployed to clear the debris from the bridge which collapsed in Baltimore this week after being struck by a container ship.
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For their part, immigrant workers held a press conference to pay tribute to the workers who died in the accident, demanding “respect and dignity” for migrants.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge, used every day by tens of thousands of vehicles, collapsed like a house of cards on Tuesday, blocking the entrance to the port of Baltimore, on the east coast of the United States. The bodies of two of the six missing workers believed to be dead have been found.
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President Joe Biden announced he would travel to Baltimore next week.
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“We need to clear the channel and open maritime traffic to the port. Because the health of the economy of Maryland (where Baltimore is located) and the national economy depends on it,” state Governor Wes Moore said during a press briefing.
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“It’s an incredibly complex operation,” he added.
Eiffel Tower
To give an idea of the enormity of the task, he described the cargo of the cargo ship that hit the bridge as being “about the size of the Eiffel Tower.” Containers on board were “torn in two as if they were papier-mâché,” he said.
During the night, a huge crane, the “Chesapeake 1000”, capable of lifting 1,000 tonnes, arrived on site aboard a barge and is ready to begin work, according to the authorities.
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The challenge is that “the bridge, which currently rests on the ship, weighs between 3,000 and 4,000 tonnes,” said Mr. Moore.
It is therefore necessary to cut the gigantic pieces of metal and move them.
“We cannot rebuild the bridge until we have” cleared the debris, the governor insisted.
The US Navy will provide four cranes for the work, three of which have already arrived – one of them is the Chesapeake.
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“In the coming weeks, we expect the following entities to be on the water: seven floating cranes, ten tugboats, nine barges, eight rescue vessels and five Coast Guard boats,” detailed Wes Moore.
Operations to find the remains of the workers who were victims of the accident were interrupted because the authorities considered the divers’ work at the accident site too dangerous.
“Demonized”
Four men, all Latin American immigrants, are presumed dead after the Dali, a container ship 300 meters long and 48 meters wide, crashed into a bridge pier due to propulsion problems.
They were part of a team of eight workers working at night to repair the bridge’s roadway. Two of them were rescued shortly after the structure collapsed.
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“In a country where migrants are often demonized (…), this reminds us once again of the enormous contributions of immigrants to this country,” said during a press conference in tribute to the victims and immigrant workers. the general director of the NGO Casa, Gustavo Torres.
“Now is the time for the president to provide help to these workers who, along with their American-born brothers and sisters, are building this country,” he added, while an immigrant worker carrying the yellow helmet of the workers demanded “respect and dignity”.
Maryland, where Baltimore is located, asked the federal state for an initial envelope of $60 million, an appeal quickly heard by the government.
After the tragedy, Joe Biden pledged that the federal administration would cover the entire cost of rebuilding the bridge.
Due to this accident, maritime transport remains suspended.
On Thursday, the head of the Lloyd’s of London insurance market warned that compensation for the accident from insurance companies could be the highest ever paid out in maritime transport.
