The American authorities on Monday blew up a piece of the Baltimore bridge which had collapsed in March, hit by a container ship in distress, a tragedy in which six workers had died.
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The teams used controlled explosions to cut the metal beams of part of the structure to facilitate the cutting of the debris from the structure.
The operation should also make it possible to free the Dali, this 300 meter ship which was embedded on March 26 in one of the bridge piers and which is still partly blocking the access channel to this important port for trade. on the East Coast of the United States.
AFP
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Shortly after 5 p.m., the targeted structure exploded with a loud bang, metal beams falling into the water while a large cloud of black smoke rose before being dissipated by the wind.
The operation aims to fragment it into smaller segments that are easier to remove with the immense cranes which, for weeks, have been dismantling this giant mechanic little by little.
The Francis Scott Key highway bridge collapsed in a few seconds like a house of cards after being hit by the Dali which was battling damage and was unable to slow down its course.
Six workers who were carrying out road repair work on the bridge, all Latin American immigrants, died. The last body was only found last week.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge served as an important highway for the northeastern United States, connecting the capital Washington and New York. Maritime transport in one of the country’s busiest ports had been blocked.
“We are going to move heaven and earth to rebuild this bridge as quickly as possible,” Joe Biden declared during a visit to the site in early April.
In the meantime, a temporary navigation corridor has been opened, in particular to allow the passage of vessels carrying out clearing operations.
But trade is also benefiting, and is slowly picking up: the port of Baltimore announced on Monday on United.
The US Federal Police (FBI) and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the accident.
