At about 1:30, container ships struck the Francis Scott's Key
Bridge,
which I've been over many,
many times commuting from the state of Delaware than our
trainer by car.
Been in Baltimore Harbor many times.
And the bridge collapsed, sending several people in the vehicles
into the water,
into the river and multiple U.S.
Coast Guard units, which are stationed very nearby,
thank God, were immediately deployed along with local emergency personnel.
And the Coast Guard is leading the response to the
port,
where representatives from the Federal Highway Administration,
the FBI, the Department of Transportation and the Army Corps
of Engineers,
as well as Maryland officials in Baltimore police and fire
are all working together
to coordinate an emergency response.
Officials at the scene estimate eight people were unaccounted for,
still not still were unaccounted for.
That number might change. Two have been rescued,
1 without injury, one in critical condition
and the search and rescue operation is continuing for all
those remaining as we speak.
I spoke with Governor Moore this morning as well as
the Mayor of Baltimore,
the County Executive united to both United States senators and
the congressmen
and my Secretary of Transportation is on the scene.
I told them we're going to send all the federal
resources they need as we respond to this emergency.
And I mean all the federal resources,
and we're going to rebuild that port together.
Everything so far indicates that this was a terrible accident.
At this time, we have no other indication,
no other reason to believe there's any intentional act here.
Personnel on board the ship were able to alert the
Maryland Department of Transportation
that they had lost control of their vessel,
as you all know reported.
As a result, local authorities were able to close the
bridge to traffic before the bridge was struck,
which undoubtedly saved lives. Our prayers are with everyone involved
in this terrible accident and all the families,
especially those waiting for the news of their loved one
right now.
I know every minute in that circumstance feels like a
lifetime.
You just don't know. It's just terrible.
We're incredibly grateful for the brave rescuers who immediately rushed
to the scene
and to the people of Baltimore who want to say
we're with you,
we're going to stay with you as long as it
takes.
Like Governor said, you're Maryland tough,
you're Baltimore strong, and we're going to get through this
together and I promise we're not leaving.
Here's what's happening now. The search and rescue operation is
our top priority.
Ship traffic in the Port of Baltimore has been suspended
until further notice,
and we'll need to clear that Channel before the ship
traffic can resume.
The Army Corps of Engineers is on the spot and
is going to help lead this effort to clear the
channel.
The Port of Baltimore is one of the nation's largest
shipping hubs,
and I've been there a number of times as a
senator and as a vice president.
It handles a record amount of cargo last year.
It's also the top port in America for both imports
and exports of automobiles and light trucks.
Around 850,000 vehicles go through that port every single year,
and we're going to get it up and running again
as soon as possible.
15,000 jobs depend on that port,
and we're going to do everything we can to protect
those jobs and help those workers.
The bridge is also critical to for travel,
not just for Baltimore but for the Northeast Corridor.
Over 30,000 vehicles cross the Francis Scott Key Bridge on
a daily basis.
It's virtually the well. It's one of the most important
elements for the economy in the Northeast
and the quality of life.
My transportation secretary is there now.
As I told Governor Moore,
I've directed my team to move heaven and earth to
reopen the port and rebuild the bridge as soon as
humanly possible.
And we're going to work hand in hand with the
support of Maryland to support Maryland.
And whatever they ask for,
we're going to work with our partners in Congress to
make sure the state gets the support it needs.
It's my intention that federal government will pay for the
entire cost of reconstructing that bridge.
And I expect the Congress to support my effort.
This is going to take some time.
The people of Baltimore can count on us,
though, to stick with them at every step of the
way until the port is reopened and the bridge is
rebuilt.