U.S. President Joe Biden (D) gave a thoughtful response regarding the recent collapse of the Baltimore bridge.
“It's my intention that the federal government will pay for the entire cost of reconstruction in that bridge. I expect the Congress to support my effort,” said Biden.
“This is going to take some time,” continued the president. “We're not leaving until this job gets done.”
The Francis Scott Key bridge collapsed after the cargo ship personnel lost control of the vessel and struck the bridge. Thankfully, the crewmen alerted the Maryland Department of Transportation and the local authorities closed the bridge prior to the crash.
“Ship traffic and the port of Baltimore has been suspended until further notice. And we'll need to clear that channel before the ship traffic can resume," said Biden.
At the time it was unclear how many fatalities occurred because of the incident. However, new information has emerged and shows that 2 bodies have been recovered and 6 are presumed dead. The names of the two individuals whose bodies were recovered are Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, 35, of Baltimore, and Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, 26, of Dundalk. A survivor was released from Shock Trauma on Wednesday morning.
“Our prayers are with everyone involved in this terrible accident and all the families, especially those waiting for news of their loved one right now,” continued the president. “I know every minute in that circumstance feels like a lifetime, you just don't know. It's just terrible.”
Biden made sure to thank the workers who helped navigate through the tough situation of the Baltimore Bridge's collapse.
“We're incredibly grateful for the brave rescuers who immediately rushed to the scene and to the people of Baltimore. I want to say, we're with you,” said Biden. “We're going to stay with you, as long as it takes. And like the governor said, 'you're Maryland tough, you're Baltimore strong and we're going to get through this together.’”
