Questions have been raised after President Joe Biden sparked confusion in his White House remarks on the Baltimore bridge collapse by referring to having commuted by rail.
Following the horror collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, near the city's busy shipping port, President Biden gave remarks to the press as a huge search operation was underway. Six people, construction workers who had been filling potholes on the bridge, are missing with authorities last night declaring they were presumed dead.
During his remarks, Biden offered a personal anecdote about the bridge, which connected the areas of Dundalk and Sparrows Point to Hawkins Point with the I-695. He said of the bridge: "I've been over many, many times commuting from the state of Delaware either on a train or by car."
Read more: Search resumes for six missing people presumed dead in bridge collapse - updates
A family looks at the steel frame of the Francis Scott Key Bridge sitting on top of the container ship Dali (AFP via Getty Images)His comments sparked fierce debate and backlash on social media, with many questioning the 81-year-old's mental state as they interpreted his comments as meaning he believed to have taken a train across the bridge. Many were quick to take to X, formerly Twitter, to point out that the bridge has never had rail lines across it.
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At 81-years-old, Biden is the oldest person ever inaugurated president, a distinction he earned at 78. Whoever wins in this coming election will beat that record with Biden aged 82 and Trump aged 78 who will be more than five months older than Biden was in 2021 when he was sworn in.
One user, X, formerly Twitter, said: "There is no value to him inserting himself into this situation.” Another wrote: “Ummm…what train tracks is he referencing? Because there are none on the Francis Scott Key bridge."
The Dali cargo ship crashed into a support beam causing the bridge to fall into the water (David Tulis/UPI/REX/Shutterstock)Speaking to reporters Biden said: "Everything so far indicates that this was a terrible accident. At this time, we have no other indication — no other reason to believe there was any intentional act here."
He added "And our prayers are with everyone involved in this terrible accident and all the families, especially those waiting for the news of their loved one right now. I know every minute in that circumstance feels like a lifetime. You just don’t know. It’s just terrible. We’re incredibly grateful for the brave rescuers who immediately rushed to the scene.
"And to the people of Baltimore, I want to say: We’re with you. We’re going to stay with you as long as takes. And like the governor said, you’re Maryland tough, you’re Baltimore strong, and we’re going to get through this together. And I promise: We’re not leaving."
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An aerial view shows the Singapore-flagged Dali cargo ship and the remains of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge (Satellite image ©2024 Maxar Tech)Miguel Luna, 49, from El Salvador, has been named as one of the people on the bridge when it collapsed after being hit by the cargo ship Dali. Six construction workers, who were working on the bridge fixing potholes, are presumed to be dead by their employer - Brawner Builders. Honduran man, Maynor Yassir Suazo Sandova, is also among the missing men.
Miguel Luna's wife María del Carmen Castellón told Telemundo 44 in Spanish: “They only tell us that we have to wait, that for now, they can’t give us information,” she said earlier in the day. “[We feel] devastated, devastated because our heart is broken, because we don’t know if they’ve rescued them yet. We’re just waiting to hear any news.“
Radio traffic obtained from the Broadcastify.com archive indicates officers were just about to alert a construction crew when a major bridge in Baltimore collapsed after being hit by a container ship that had lost power. The Maryland Transportation Authority first responder radio traffic includes a dispatcher putting out a call saying a ship had lost its steering ability and asking officers to stop all traffic.
It took officers less than two minutes to stop traffic on the bridge. One officer who had stopped traffic radioed that he was going to drive onto the bridge to notify the construction crew once a second officer arrived. But seconds later, a frantic officer radioed that the bridge had collapsed.
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