US authorities have recovered the bodies of two of the six Latino workers missing after the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. They are the Mexican Alejandro Hernández Fuentes, 35 years old, and the Guatemalan, Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, the search teams confirmed this Wednesday. Both worked for the company Brawner Builders and were repairing the asphalt before a freighter crashed into the structure early Tuesday. The rescue efforts for the other four victims have been complicated because security forces have warned that it is no longer safe for groups of divers to continue searching the accident area. “We have exhausted all search efforts in the areas surrounding the accident, based on the probe scans, we firmly believe that the vehicles were trapped in the superstructure and concrete,” said Maryland Police Superintendent Roland Butler.
A co-worker who knew the victims said that Hernández Fuentes and Castillo Cabrera were taking a break and taking refuge from the cold in a truck when the bridge collapsed, according to a testimony released by the Associated Press agency. “The bodies of both workers were found inside a
red
pick-up
vehicle,” reported the Guatemalan consulate in Maryland. The authorities of the Central American country regretted the death of their compatriot in a statement and have asked for respect for the families' grief. Butler said the bodies were recovered around 10am, the car was submerged seven meters in water. His relatives were notified in person.
The president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, revealed in the morning that there were two Mexicans missing and that another had managed to survive the collapse. Another worker managed to escape the accident alive. The president said that there was permanent communication with the families of the victims and assured that they would receive consular support from the authorities. The Coast Guard stated Tuesday that the chances of finding the six missing workers alive were minimal due to the temperature of the water and the time that had passed since the collapse. “We don't think we're going to find any of these people still alive,” said Admiral Shannon N. Gilreath.
The four workers who have not yet been located are from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. The Honduran migrant was identified as Maynor Suazo, 37 years old, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Central American country. He is the father of three children and had been in the United States for almost two decades, after his family moved from the department of Santa Barbara. The Salvadoran is Miguel Luna, father of three children, according to the CASA organization, of which he was a member. The information was confirmed by the Salvadoran Foreign Ministry. “President Nayib Bukele has made all support and accompaniment available to the Luna family,” said Alexandra Hill, Minister of Foreign Affairs. The Guatemalan and Mexican governments have chosen not to release the names of their missing citizens.
Information in development.