Baltimore Key Bridge collapse news: Live updates as search efforts underway for at least 6 people

Companies are trying to determine how to get cargo in and out of the Baltimore area after the bridge collapsed. The bridge and port will likely be out of commission for months, trade experts told CNBC on Tuesday afternoon. It’s one of the top ports for automakers in the country.

After the collapse, General Motors announced it would be rerouting shipments elsewhere. In 2023, $23bn of the port’s $55.2bn in revenue stemmed from cars and light trucks. Around $4 bn of the port’s exports were motor vehicles, the outlet noted.

President Joe Biden told reporters on Tuesday that he plans to visit Baltimore, Maryland soon in the wake of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse.

The president did not specify when but said it would happen in the near future. In the meantime, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg will visit Baltimore and the site of the bridge accident.

– 850,000 cars go through the Port of Baltimore every year, which is underneath the bridge.

– 15,000 jobs served by the Port of Baltimore.

– 30,000 cars cross Francis Scott Key Bridge daily.

Speaking to members of the media on Tuesday afternoon, President Joe Biden said he’ll be visiting Baltimore as soon as he can. He made the remarks before heading off to North Carolina to speak about healthcare in Raleigh.

A former fire chief in Baltimore told the Associated Press that the moment the Francis Scott Key Bridge fell “felt like an earthquake” or “rolling thunder.”

Donald Heinbuch said he was awoken by the sound of the bridge falling early on Tuesday.

He told AP he turned on his police scanner and found that the noise was from the bridge falling and rushed to the scene.

“The ship was there, and the bridge was in the water, like it was blown up,” Mr Heinbuch said.

In light of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse, General Motors will be re-routing its vehicle shipments, Bloomberg reported.

The company said it expects the re-route to have minimal impact.

President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that the federal government will pay for the reconstruction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland after a ship crashed into it, causing it to collapse.

“It’s my intention, that the federal government will pay for the entire cost of reconstructing that bridge and I expect Congress to support my effort,” Mr Biden said in a press conference.

The president assured the people of Maryland, as well as Governor Wes Moore, that he has directed his team to offer all the federal resources possible to help rebuild the port which is crucial to transportation and the economy.

Mr Biden stressed the importance of rebuilding the bridge as more than 15,000 people rely on its ports for jobs. He said it was a critical hub for shipping imports and exports.

Baltimore City Fire Chief James Wallace told CNN that authorities found three passenger vehicles, a cement truck and another vehicle submerged in the water, using infrared and side-scan sonar technology.

So far only two people have been rescued but six people who were conducting construction on the bridge are thought to be missing.

Dive teams are working to perform search missions.