The body of a fifth person was recovered more than a month after the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, officials said.
Miguel Angel Luna Gonzalez, 49, of Glen Burnie, Maryland, was found Wednesday, the Key Bridge Response Unified Command said in a statement.
His body was located inside a red construction vehicle the Unified Command salvage teams found.
Maryland State Police, the state’s Transportation Authority Police and the FBI assisted in the recovery.
“We remain dedicated to the ongoing recovery operations while knowing behind each person lost in this tragedy lies a loving family,” Maryland State Police Superintendent Roland Butler Jr. said in a statement.
“Along with our local, state and federal partners, we ask that everyone extend their deepest sympathies and support to the families during this difficult time,” Butler added.
One person remains missing in the March 26 collapse after a cargo ship struck a bridge support. He was identified as José Mynor Lopez, according to NBC Washington.
Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott thanked the teams who helped locate the victim.
“With the news that a fifth victim has been located, there is some small peace provided to another family amidst all the agony they’ve endured,” he said Thursday in a post on X. “While we continue to be heartbroken for all these families, one more soul has been brought home, but one Marylander is still missing.”
He continued: “To the family still waiting, our entire city joins you in hope for the same closure soon and shares in your grief. We continue to be here for you, in whatever way you need, now and always.”
The bridge crumbled and plummeted into the Patapsco River seconds after a 948-foot, Singapore-flagged container ship, named the Dali, hit one of its support pillars, video showed.
Investigators said the ship’s lights had shut off four minutes before coming back on. At 1:25 a.m., dark black smoke billowed from the ship’s chimney. A minute later, the ship appeared to turn and the lights flickered again before it hit the support.
The FBI has opened a criminal investigation into the incident, two senior law enforcement officials familiar with the investigation told NBC News last month. The sources said part of the investigation will involve whether the crew previously knew about potential mechanical issues on the ship. The probe will also look at the events that led up to when the vessel left the port, according to the sources.
The bodies of the third and fourth victims were found in April. One of them was identified as Maynor Yasir Suazo-Sandoval, 38, a construction worker. At the family’s request, officials did not identify the other victim.
A day after the collapse, two other bodies were recovered from a vehicle in the water. Authorities identified them as Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, 35, who was from Mexico and lived in Baltimore; and Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, 26, who was from Guatemala and lived in Dundalk, Maryland.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
