US President Joe Biden pledges to rebuild Francis Scott Key Bridge

This statement by the head of the White House repeated information given by some Maryland officials earlier. However, Mr. J. Biden emphasized that the entire cost of rebuilding the bridge will be paid by the federal government .

Speaking from the White House, Mr. J. Biden emphasized: "I expect the federal government to pay for the entire cost of rebuilding the bridge and I also hope that Congress will support my efforts." In the view of the head of the White House, this work will take time. "But the people of Baltimore can trust that we will stand by them every step of the way until the port of Baltimore is reopened and the Francis Scott Key Bridge is rebuilt," Mr. J. Biden affirmed.

President J. Biden said that on the morning of March 26, he spoke with Maryland Governor Wes Moore and several Maryland officials. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg visited the scene of the bridge collapse in Baltimore.

Mr. J. Biden affirmed that the Francis Scott Key Bridge plays a role as “one of the most important factors for the economy and the quality of life of the people of the Northeast”. In a conversation with Governor Moore, President J. Biden said that he has instructed US authorities to “do everything possible” to rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge as soon as possible. President J. Biden also said that he plans to visit the site of the bridge collapse in Baltimore soon.

Early on the morning of March 26 local time (ie the same afternoon Vietnam time), when the Singapore-flagged container ship Dali was leaving the port to head to Sri Lanka, it crashed into a support pillar of the Francis Scott Key Bridge (also known as the Key Bridge). This ship is owned by Grace Ocean Pte Ltd and operates under the management of Synergy Marine Group.

The collision caused almost the entire steel structure of the bridge to collapse, while many people and vehicles traveling on the bridge at the time fell into the river. Before the collision, the Dali train reported a power outage and sent out a distress signal. Authorities promptly notified vehicles approaching the bridge to stop traveling before the incident occurred.

At nearly 2 miles long, the Francis Scott Key Bridge is the longest bridge in the Baltimore metropolitan area and one of the busiest arteries in the United States. The bridge opened in March 1977 and carries an average of 11.5 million vehicles each year.

Following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, the Port of Baltimore is expected to remain closed indefinitely while federal and state officials in Maryland deal with the aftermath. President J. Biden hailed the Port of Baltimore as one of the largest shipping hubs in the country, handling record volumes of cargo last year. An average of 850,000 vehicles pass through the port each year, providing jobs for about 15,000 workers.

Two people have been rescued, while six others remain missing after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed in Baltimore, Maryland authorities said in a statement on March 26. However, authorities said that based on the cold water temperature and the amount of time that has passed since the incident, it is unlikely that the six people are still alive if they are found.

Maryland Governor Wes Moore said that the preliminary investigation showed that this was just an accident, and that authorities have not seen any credible evidence that this was a terrorist attack. Mr. Moore said the bridge collapse was a “shocking and heartbreaking” event for Marylanders - who have used the bridge for the past 47 years./.

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