Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse: What we know about the victims

BALTIMORE — Two people have died and four others are presumed dead after a cargo ship hit a column supporting the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore early on Tuesday morning, plunging the 1.6-mile span into the water.

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Authorities said the six are construction workers who were filling potholes on the bridge when it collapsed. Most of them worked for Brawner Builders, a company based in Hunt Valley, according to The Baltimore Sun.

“We have seven wonderful employees who were on the bridge when it collapsed, six of whom are presumed dead,” the company’s executive vice president, Jeffrey Pritzker, told the Sun on Tuesday night. “It’s a terrible, terrible unforeseen tragedy. … None of us could have imagined this could happen. We are all kind of shocked and distressed.”

Jesus Campos, an employee of Brawner Builders, told The Baltimore Banner that he had worked the overnight shift on the bridge before switching to another. He said his missing coworkers are all men in their 30s and 40s who have spouses and children.

“They are all hard-working, humble men,” he said.

Here’s what we know about the victims:

2 men confirmed dead: Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes and Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera

Authorities confirmed Wednesday that two bodies were pulled from a red pickup truck found in the water following the bridge collapse. They were identified as Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, 35, and Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, 26.

Hernandez Fuentes was from Mexico, Politico reported. Guatemalan officials said Castillo Cabrera was from San Luis, Petén.

Earlier, officials in both countries said they were in contact with the victims’ families.

Miguel Luna, 49, among those missing

El Salvador native Miguel Luna, who has lived in Maryland for more than 19 years, is one of the six workers missing following the collapse, according to CASA, an organization that supports immigrants and their families. Officials with the group said Luna left for work on Monday evening and never returned home.

He is married with three children and has been a longtime member of CASA, the organization said.

Luna’s wife, María del Carmen Castellón, told Telemundo 44 that his family was “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.”

Maynor Yassir Suazo Sandoval, 38, also missing

Family members identified Maynor Yassir Suazo Sandoval as another of the missing construction workers, CNN reported.

The 38-year-old’s brother, Martin Suazo, told CNN that he learned his brother was missing early on Tuesday. He lives in Honduras, which is where Maynor Suazo was originally from.

He moved to the U.S. 18 years ago in hopes of a better life, CNN reported. He is married with two children, 18 and 5.

Honduras’ Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Antonio Garcia also confirmed to The Associated Press that Maynor Suazo is among those missing. He told the news agency that he has been in contact with Maynor Suazo’s family.

1 Mexican among those missing; 1 identified as survivor

One person from Mexico is among the four people who remain missing, according to Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A second Mexican was injured in the bridge collapse but survived, authorities said.

Officials did not identify either person. The surviving worker, who is recovering from his injuries, is also from Michoacán, officials said.

At a news conference on Wednesday morning, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said officials had made contact with families impacted by the bridge collapse.

“They are being supported,” he said. “There is assistance from the diplomatic corps in Baltimore, Washington, they are working with them.”

1 Guatemalan among those missing

A 35-year-old man from Guatemala is believed to be missing after Tuesday’s bridge collapse, according to the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The man is from Camotán, Chiquimula, officials said. They did not identify him, though they said officials were in contact with his brother.

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Bridge collapse The Dali container vessel after striking the Francis Scott Key Bridge that collapsed into the Patapsco River in Baltimore, Maryland, US, on Tuesday, March 26, 2024. The commuter bridge collapsed after being rammed by the Dali ship, causing vehicles to plunge into the water. Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images (Bloomberg/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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