Baltimore bridge collapse: Body of last missing worker recovered

Washington, May 8 (IANS) The body of the sixth and final worker who was missing after a bridge collapse in the US city of Baltimore more than one month ago has been recovered, officials have said.

Unified Command salvage teams located the victim and promptly notified the Maryland Department of State Police. State police investigators along with officers from the Maryland Transportation Authority Police and the FBI responded to the scene and recovered the body of a sixth construction worker, Xinhua news agency reported, citing an official statement posted online.

The victim is identified as Jose Mynor Lopez, 37, of Baltimore, Maryland, said the statement.

"With heavy hearts, today marks a significant milestone in our recovery efforts and providing closure to the loved ones of the six workers who lost their lives in this tragic event," said Colonel Roland L. Butler, Jr., Superintendent of the Maryland Department of State Police, in the statement.

The 2.6-km-long Francis Scott Key Bridge, a major bridge that held Interstate 695, collapsed on March 26 after being hit by a large container ship, which experienced a power failure before the collision.

Eight people initially went into the water after the incident occurred and two of them were rescued from the Patapsco River, with one in critical condition.

The six individuals who went missing, all road maintenance workers, were reportedly on the bridge repairing potholes. They were all presumed dead after the US Coast Guard suspended days of search and rescue efforts.

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