PH Embassy checking for Filipino casualties in Baltimore bridge collapse

NEW YORK —The Philippine Embassy in Washington DC is verifying the involvement of Filipino nationals in the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on Tuesday morning.

In a message to GMA Integrated News, Consul Mark Dominic Lim of the Public Diplomacy Section of the Philippine Embassy in Washington DC, said they are coordinating with the Consular Office to determine if any Filipinos were affected by the tragedy.

The Embassy in Washington DC is also inquiring about the presence of Filipino crew members aboard the Singaporean cargo ship that collided with the bridge, which is a vital connection going to Maryland, Virginia, and Washington DC.

Currently, the US Coast Guard is conducting search and rescue operations to locate motorists who fell into the river after the cargo vessel struck the bridge around 1 a.m. on Tuesday morning in Baltimore.

Constructed in 1972, the Francis Scott Key Bridge, spans 1.6 miles across the Patapsco River from Interstate 695. It is estimated that over 30,000 vehicles cross the bridge daily.—LDF, GMA Integrated News