Maryland : As the investigation proceeds, Deputy Commandant for Operations for the US Coast Guard, Vice Admiral Peter Gautier, highlighted that the crew, predominantly including Indian and Sri Lankan members, is cooperating with what they need.
Vice Admiral Peter Gautier further said that these crew members are still there and are engaged in the dialogue and the investigation.
"The crew is cooperating with what we need. They remain on board and are predominantly an Indian crew, with one Sri Lankan crew member on board. They're still there and very much engaged in the dialogue and the investigation," he said.
The Singapore-flagged vessel collided with one of the pillars of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Maryland, leading to its collapse on Tuesday.
A 948-foot container ship smashed into a four-lane bridge in the US port of Baltimore. Earlier on Wednesday, US President Joe Biden lauded the prompt action by personnel on board the cargo ship 'Dali', which struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, causing the bridge to plunge into the river below and sending several people and vehicles into the water.
Shipping company Synergy Maritime Group which managed the Singapore-flagged freight ship in a statement said on Tuesday that the entire 22-member crew of the vessel are Indians.
Personnel on board the ship were able to alert the Maryland Department of Transportation that they had lost control of their vessel, prompting the local authorities to close the bridge to traffic before the catastrophic impact, a move that "undoubtedly" saved lives, President Biden said on Wednesday during his comments at the White House regarding the Baltimore bridge collapse.
Six people who were missing after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed have been presumed dead, said the Maryland state police.
"Officials at the scene estimate eight people were unaccounted for still -- not still, were unaccounted for. That number might change. Two have been rescued -- one without injury, one in critical condition. And the search-and-rescue operation is continuing for all those remaining as we speak," the US President said.
Biden also noted that the Port of Baltimore is one of the nation's largest shipping hubs. "It handled 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."