International
The collapse of a bridge in Baltimore due to the crash of a freighter causes six missing persons
The collision this Tuesday of a container ship against Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge caused the total collapse of that structure that crosses the Patapsco River and so far leaves six missing, in whose search federal, state and local agents are involved.
The event took place around 1:30 local time (5:30 GMT). The freighter Dali lost propulsion, according to the first indications, and ended up being embedded against the bridge, built in 1977, through which about 35,000 vehicles a day cross and which rose to fame in the past as the setting for the series ‘The Wire’.
The alert given by the ship itself allowed the entry of vehicles into the area to be stopped and lives were saved, but there were workers on the spot who were repairing the asphalt: two were injured, one of them serious, and six others are still missing.
At first there was talk of 20 people with unknown whereabouts, but that figure was lowered shortly after. In their search, a helicopter, three boats of the coast guard and teams of divers participate.
The Secretary of Transport of Maryland, Paul Wiedefeld, indicated that the low temperature of the water, its depth, of about 15 meters, and the darkness when the event occurred make the work difficult.
The priority is to find the missing, the mayor of Baltimore, Brandon Scott, told the press in one of the many appearances organized throughout the day to offer the latest details about what happened.
It is already known that there are no signs of a terrorist attack. The FBI is involved in the investigation, as every time there are events of this scope, and its special agent Bill Delbagno specified that there is no “specific or credible information that suggests that there are links to terrorism.”
Everything indicates that it was an accident. The Singaporean company Synergy Group, which operates the ship, announced that none of its 22 crew members were injured, while the Danish multinational Maersk confirmed that it had temporarily rented the ship, named Dali, and that it was transporting cargo from the company.
The Dali has a gross load capacity of 95,000 tons and 300 meters in length. In 2016, it hit the pier in the port of Antwerp (Belgium), according to Vessel Finder.
The port was paralyzed and only the loading and unloading activity of the trucks is allowed. The area is also blocked to traffic and the press, which can only be accessed about 1.6 kilometers away, from where you can see the ship blocked with its containers and the bridge turned into a tangle of steel.
The local authorities do not yet want to talk about the economic cost of the impact. “A bridge can be rebuilt, our focus is on the people,” said the mayor, while the governor of Maryland specified that not only will it be built again, but it will be made in memory of those affected.
The bridge that collapsed is the largest in the state of Maryland. It is 2,632 meters long and owes its name in honor of the poet Francis Scott Key, author of the lyrics of the American anthem.
Its construction began in 1972, its structure crosses the lower part of the Patapsco River between Hawkins Point and Sollers Point and runs through it the I-695 highway, whose traffic was diverted this Tuesday until further notice.
The governor of Maryland, who declared a state of emergency in the area, stressed today that the entire state is in “shock.”
Baltimore is its most populous city, with just over 600,000 inhabitants in the urban center and 2.7 million in its metropolitan area, and its port, located in Chesapeake Bay, is the most important in the United States for the trade in vehicles and agricultural equipment.
The president of the United States, Joe Biden, ordered the reconstruction of the collapsed bridge and the reopening of the port, now blocked, as soon as possible.
“I have ordered my team to move heaven and earth to reopen the port and rebuild the bridge as soon as humanly possible,” Biden said in an address.
The president also announced that the federal government will advance the funds to pay for the reconstruction of the bridge.
“We will send all the federal resources you need while we respond to this emergency. And I mean all federal resources. And we are going to rebuild this port together,” said the US president.
“My intention,” he added, “is for the federal government to pay the total cost of the reconstruction of that bridge. And I hope that Congress will support my effort.”
Biden later clarified that the idea is for the Government to advance the money until the responsibility of the container carrier is determined.
An inspection last June in the Chilean port of San Antonio found problems in the “propulsion and auxiliary machinery” of the Dali cargo engine, with the Singaporean flag and that on Tuesday caused the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in the port of Baltimore, according to the Equasis database consulted by EFE.
The inspection, dated June 27, 2021, found deficiencies in propulsion and more specifically in “measuring devices, thermometers, etc.”
Those problems caused two subsequent inspections, but the freighter, with 300 meters in length and capacity to carry 95,000 tons, was not stopped and was able to continue operating, after solving the deficiencies.
The Dali, which began operating in 2015, had another problem in its history, when in July 2016 it collided with a mooring in the port of Antwerp (Belgium) and suffered damage to the hull.
International
Bolsonaro diagnosed with skin cancer amid coup conviction
Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro has been diagnosed with skin cancer while serving a historic sentence for attempting a coup d’état. His medical team confirmed that the lesions have been removed and that, for now, he does not require further procedures, though he will need regular monitoring.
On Wednesday, September 17, Bolsonaro’s doctors confirmed the diagnosis. The announcement comes shortly after the former leader was convicted of orchestrating an attempted coup.
According to his physician, Claudio Birolini, Bolsonaro has “squamous cell carcinoma, which is neither the most benign nor the most aggressive form — it is intermediate.” Birolini warned, however, that this type of skin cancer “can carry more serious consequences.”
International
Milei praises Paraguay’s growth, calls Argentina’s last 20 years a ‘decline’
Argentine President Javier Milei praised Paraguay’s economic growth over the past two decades during a speech before the Paraguayan Congress on Wednesday (Sept. 17, 2025), crediting it to incentives that favored capitalism. At the same time, he contrasted that progress with what he described as Argentina’s deepening “decline” during the same period.
“If we compare the last 20 years of Paraguay with those of the Argentine Republic, we will find almost diametrically opposite results,” Milei told lawmakers during a special session of Parliament on the second and final day of his official visit to Asunción.
“While you have not stopped growing, we have deepened our decline. If we understand incentives as the engine of capitalism, Paraguay focused on preserving and strengthening them, while Argentina dedicated itself to chaining, directing, and suffocating them,” the right-wing leader stated.
International
Trump administration launches large-scale immigration operation in Chicago
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump intensified a large-scale immigration operation in the Chicago area with the arrival of additional Border Patrol agents on Tuesday and the presence of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem during a raid.
Noem posted a video on her X account showing the immigration operation, in which DHS reportedly removed “violent criminals” from the streets. The footage shows Noem observing the arrest of a man taken into custody at his home early Tuesday morning at an undisclosed location.
“I was in Chicago today to make it clear that we will not back down,” the secretary wrote. “Our work is just beginning,” she added.
The warning from Noem was echoed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Chief Gregory Bovino, who posted a video on X Tuesday showing multiple Border Patrol vehicles arriving in the city with the caption: “Chicago, we are here!”
Bovino, who led the immigration crackdown in Los Angeles implemented since last June, said the team will remain in Chicago to continue the mission they started in California.
Operation “Midway Blitz” is currently focused on the Chicago metropolitan area and its suburbs. Activists and residents have reported sightings of masked agents and unmarked vehicles in predominantly Latino neighborhoods.
Bolsonaro diagnosed with skin cancer amid coup conviction
Milei praises Paraguay’s growth, calls Argentina’s last 20 years a ‘decline’
Trump administration launches large-scale immigration operation in Chicago
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
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