Maryland governor: Baltimore bridge recovery operation ‘remarkably complex’

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) said the Baltimore bridge recovery operation is “remarkably complex” as crews work to remove debris and the cargo ship that hit the Francis Scott Key Bridge last week.

Moore joined NewsNation’s “Cuomo” late Thursday, telling host Chris Cuomo the ship is “literally the size of the Eiffel Tower and the weight of the Washington Monument.”

Moore said 27,000 tons of bridge debris is“pancaked” at the bottom of the river.

When the ship struck the bridge, an eight-man construction crew was working to repair the road surface. The collapse was so fast, they had no time to evacuate. Two of them died and four are still missing.

“So this is a remarkably complex mission and operations where we continue both to pray for the families and work to bring them a sense of closure, but also having the president here, it means a lot to us because it just shows the level of coordination and partnership that’s going to be required in order for us to get to our long term goals,” Moore said.

President Biden will travel to Baltimore on Friday to get an update on the aftermath of the collapse. He will meet with local and state officials and the families of the six people who died.

Biden is expected to highlight a $60 million federal emergency relief fund that was approved to help the initial costs from the accident.

Moore said late Thursday that teams are using 3D sonars and radars to look at debris underwater because “it’s not even just what you see on top of the water.”

“It’s actually what you don’t see” that makes the mission complex, he added.

There are nearly 400 individuals who are working around the clock to “bring a measure of conclusion to this” and crews are constantly having to reassess, Moore said, adding that there are 21 crew members who are still aboard the ship. Due to the sheer size of the boat, the members still have their living quarters and other areas not mangled by the wreckage.

“So that is just an understanding of the complexity of this operation and why we have to move so smartly,” the governor said.

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