Hazardous materials have leaked into the Patapsco River after a container ship collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on Tuesday.
A total of 56 containers onboard the Dali were carrying 764 tons of hazardous materials, including corrosives, flammables and lithium-ion batteries, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
The Singapore-flagged vessel was on its way to Sri Lanka when it hit the bridge early on Tuesday morning. Cameras captured the moment the structure collapsed, as a fire broke out on the ship and vehicles slid into the water.
NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said on Wednesday that a number of the containers were breached and a "sheen" had been identified in the water, which she said will be dealt with by the federal, state and local authorities.
She added that the NTSB's investigation into the incident will be a "massive undertaking" and could take between 12 and 24 months. However, she said that a preliminary report is expected in the next few weeks and the agency will issue urgent safety recommendations.
Crews recovered the bodies of two people who died in the incident on Wednesday morning. They were identified as Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, of Baltimore, and Dorlian Castillo Cabrera, of Dundalk, Maryland. They were discovered in a red truck submerged in around 25 feet of water.
At least six others, believed to be part of a construction crew working on the bridge at the time of the incident, are still missing and presumed dead.
Maryland State Police Superintendent Colonel Roland L. Butler said it was no longer safe for divers to continue operating in the area, and further recovery efforts have been called off.
"We have exhausted all search efforts in the areas around this wreckage, and based on sonar scans, we firmly believe that the vehicles are encased in the superstructure and concrete," he said.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has urged the federal government to "tear down any barriers, bureaucratic as well as financial" that could slow down the rebuilding of the bridge.
"Rebuilding will not be quick, or easy or cheap, but we will get it done," Buttigieg told reporters at the White House on Wednesday.
Addressing Republicans in Congress, he said: "Today this is happening in Baltimore, tomorrow it could be their districts. We really need to stand together, red, blue and purple, to get these things done."
The exact cause of the collision is still unknown, but the Dali is thought to have lost propulsion as it left the Port of Baltimore.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said on Wednesday: "The thing that we do know is that[...]there were power challenges as the freight was coming up on the bridge.
"The mayday call came in because of the power issues and the lack of ability to steer the vessel."
He added: "We are still investigating what happened, but we are quickly gathering details. The preliminary investigation points to an accident. We haven't seen any credible evidence of a terrorist attack."
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