Body of 6th person killed in Baltimore bridge collapse has been recovered, authorities say
May 7, 2024, 5:51 PM | Updated: 5:52 pm
The cargo ship Dali is seen stuck in the remains of the Key Bridge as workers remove debris at the Patapsco River entrance to Baltimore Harbor on May 2, in Baltimore, Maryland. (Brendan Smialowski, AFP/Getty Images via CNN Newsource)
(Brendan Smialowski, AFP/Getty Images via CNN Newsource)
(CNN) — Salvage teams have recovered the body of the sixth – and believed to be the final – victim killed in the March 26 Baltimore bridge collapse, authorities announced Tuesday, marking a grim milestone in the weekslong recovery operation that followed the disaster.
The victim was identified as 37-year-old José Mynor López of Baltimore, Maryland. CNN has previously reported Lopez has three children and was the main provider of his family.
“Investigators from the Maryland State Police, along with an FBI Victim Specialist and linguist, and a team of mental health professionals notified family members after a positive identification was confirmed,” the Unified Command, a joint task force composed of police, Coast Guard and other government agencies to respond to the disaster, said in a statement online.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed after a 213-million-pound cargo vessel lost power and slammed into the structure, killing six construction workers repairing potholes on it. The bridge was used by some 30,000 Marylanders every day.
The six construction workers were immigrants from four countries – Honduras, El Salvador, Mexico and Guatemala. Alongside López, they include 49-year-old Miguel Angel Luna Gonzalez; 35-year-old Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes; 26-year-old Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera; 38-year-old Maynor Yassir Suazo Sandoval; and Carlos Daniel Hernandez Estrella, according to authorities.
A GoFundMe created in March for López’s widow and her family wrote they now face an “uncertain future” without their “main provider and pillar of strength.”
“(López) worked tirelessly to ensure his family had everything they needed,” according to the GoFundMe page, which no longer appears to be active. “His sudden absence has left a void that cannot be filled, both emotionally and financially.”
Difficult tasks
Both the recovery process and the work to remove wreckage from the bridge collapse site have been incredibly difficult tasks, state and federal leaders have said. In April, the US Army Corps of Engineers said it plans to fully reopen the “700-foot-wide by 50-foot-deep federal navigation” channel leading to the Baltimore port by the end of this month.
On Monday, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore hosted federal officials on a tour of the ongoing operations at the channel.
“Securing federal funding to rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge — fundamental to restoring the traffic system for the greater Baltimore region and principal route for all hazardous materials traveling along the I-95 corridor — is critical to addressing the economic, social and community impacts felt across the state, region, and country since the bridge collapsed,” Moore’s office said in a statement.
“Governor Moore has repeatedly engaged with Maryland’s federal delegation and critical members of Congress to help ensure full federal support to rebuild.”
So far, Maryland has received $60 million in emergency relief funds toward the project, the office said.
