Baltimore bridge collapse: Investigators release timeline of disaster

The US Navy and the Coast Guard have begun the difficult task of clearing the remnants of that collapsed bridge in Baltimore. A barge and a crane are on their way. Maryland is getting $60 million in federal relief to help with the cleanup and rebuilding, and families of the workers who died are looking for answers. Joel Senec is near the site tonight. Joel. On the river behind me, crews are working throughout the day and into the night around and on the vessel as they work to prepare to get the ship and the bridge debris out of the water. New video shows the mere seconds before the fatal collision early Tuesday morning, the site now a salvage operation. This work is not going to take days. This work is not going to take weeks. We have a very long road ahead of us, the difficult task paling in comparison to the pain felt by the victims, families all from Mexico and Central America. Six construction workers on the bridge when it collapsed lost their lives, including Minor Yasir Suazo Sandoval. His brother in Honduras, calling him a pillar and bastion of their family, now lost. The US Coast Guard says the ship underwent routine engine maintenance in Baltimore before setting sail. Still, one expert says he doesn’t see any major red flags. We have to target where you’re going to do your inspections. And this ship, you know, looking at its inspection history was really good. It really was. Audio from the ship’s data recorder is allowing investigators to lay out a timeline leading up to the collision. Officials say the ship left the terminal at 12:39 Tuesday morning at 125. A number of alarms went off. About a minute and a half later, a call was made for tugboats in the area to assist. Then the anchor was ordered to be dropped. 20 seconds later, the pilot reported the ship had lost power, alerting police. Their duty officer radioed two of their units that were already on scene due to construction on the bridge, one on each side of the bridge, and ordered them to close traffic on the bridge at 129 and 39 seconds. The pilot reported the bridge was down. Investigators pouring through the data as critical questions linger. You know what we don’t know is what caused the power outage. Was it a bad fuel? Was it a clogged water intake or was it electrical that caused this? The systems to trip and overload. Investigators on the river behind me say they are still in their gathering phase and will not be releasing any recommendations or conclusions until that is complete. Donna. All right. Joel Senec near Baltimore. Thanks.