Two bodies pulled from the water after Baltimore bridge collapse

The US Coastguard say they have suspended a search for survivors of the Baltimore bridge collapse and moved to a “recovery” effort.

Two bodies have been pulled from the River Patapsco after a container ship crashed into a bridge in Baltimore, causing it to collapse.

Divers have been searching the waters for six missing construction workers, who had been fixing potholes on the bridge when the boat struck on Tuesday at 1.30am.

Two men, 35-year-old Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes and 26-year-old Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera were found a red pickup truck in about 25 feet of water, Colonel Roland L. Butler Jr. said in a press conference.

Their families have been notified.

The searches have now been suspended as the authorities believe there is no more they can do.

“We have exhausted all search efforts in the areas around this wreckage, and based on sonar scans, we firmly believe that the vehicles are encased in the superstructure and concrete,” Mr Butler said.

At around 1.30am on Tuesday, the Dali ship reportedly suffered a “power issue” and issued a 12-second warning over the radio. which allowed police officers to stop traffic over the Key Bridge in both directions within 90 seconds.

But they were unable to warn the construction workers on the bridge and vessel smashed into a support pillar sending at least eight people into the water.

Miguel Luna (left) and Maynor Suazo (right) have been named as two of the people missing presumed dead following the collision. / Credit: Facebook

Among those who are still missing, presumed dead are father-of-three Miguel Luna from El Salvador, according to NGO CASA.

Honduran father of two, Maynor Yassir Suazo Sandoval, has also been missing since the collapse, his brother told ITV News US partner, CNN.

Guatemala’s foreign ministry said two of its citizens were unaccounted for while the Mexican embassy said a number of nationals are missing, but did not confirmed how many.

Two of the eight workers were rescued, one was taken to hospital in a critical condition but was discharged on Tuesday night.

All of the crew aboard the Dali were unharmed and US authorities have confirmed they will begin interviews with them today.

US Coast Guard officials have announced that all six workers missing after the Key Bridge collapse are ‘presumed dead’. / Credit: AP

Maryland governor Wes Moore said it was a heartbreaking conclusion after a near 18-hour search-and-rescue operation.

“We put every single asset possible — air, land and sea” to find the missing people”, he told reporters on Tuesday evening.

“While even though we’re moving on now to a recovery mission, we’re still fully committed to making sure that we’re going to use every single asset to now bring a sense of closure to the families,” the governor added.

Moore added that divers are dealing with a “treacherous situation” as they continue recovery efforts.

Boats, helicopters and drones formed a part of the huge search and rescue effort. Everyone aboard the Dali cargo ship were confirmed as safe a few hours after the collision.

The US Coast Guard are also examining more of the damaged containers, some of which are thought to hold hazardous materials, according to CNN.

The bridge collapse is currently blocking a key channel into the busy port and impacting thousands of workers. There is no timeline as to when the busy shipping route will reopen.

Moore said that approximately 15,000 workers have been directly impacted and about 140,000 workers are indirectly impacted.

After the bridge collapsed a state of emergency was declared by Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott – over 24 hours this remains in place.