One month after the catastrophic collapse of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge, the city continues to grapple with the aftermath. The tragedy, which claimed six lives, has led to a series of lawsuits and a looming payout from insurance giant Chubb Ltd.
Chubb, which insured the ill-fated bridge, is preparing to pay $350 million to the state of Maryland, marking what could be the first major payout related to the disaster. The payment is anticipated to be authorized within weeks, according to a spokesperson for Willis Towers Watson PLC, the broker for the bridge's insurance policy.
The collapse of the bridge in March, following a collision with the Singapore-flagged container ship Dali, has been described as a "record shipping insurance loss." Analysts predict that the total cost to insurers could reach up to $4 billion.
The FBI has launched a criminal investigation into the incident, which resulted in the closure of one of the busiest U.S. ports. The Wall Street Journal reported that Chubb, along with Maryland and the families of the victims, are likely to sue the ship owner and others to recoup losses from the crash. Chubb declined to comment on the matter.
Meanwhile, recovery efforts continue at the site of the disaster. The Unified Command, a coalition of federal, state, and local agencies, has been working tirelessly to clear the river and recover the bodies of the two victims still missing.
"It's been like 30 days, and (there are two) bodies still in the water," said Fernando Sajche, a local resident who was among several people paying respects to the victims at the Ft. Armistead Road memorial.
The Unified Command has reported that 171 commercial vessels, including five that were stuck in the Port of Baltimore, have passed through the four alternate channels. To date, 137 of the roughly 180 containers that need to be removed from the Dali ship have been lifted off of it.
In the coming days, operations to remove the Dali ship will require suspending vessel traffic through the temporary Fort McHenry access channel. The Unified Command has committed to allowing full access back to the port by the end of May.
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