Details have begun to emerge about some of the six people who were missing after plunging into the water after the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed on Tuesday.
Officials have said the six men are presumed dead. On Wednesday, divers were working through dangerous conditions to recover the bodies. Two surviving workers were pulled from the river on Tuesday.
Here’s what we know so far about the men, who were working as contractors doing overnight maintenance on the bridge:
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Miguel Luna, in his 40s, from El Salvador, is married and has three children, said Gustavo Torres, the executive director of the nonprofit We Are Casa, which provides services to immigrants in Baltimore. He said Mr. Luna had been living in Maryland for at least 19 years.
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Maynor Yasir Suazo Sandoval, in his 30s, of Honduras, immigrated to the United States more than 17 years ago, according to Mr. Torres, and is married with two children. In a statement provided to The Times via We Are Casa, Mr. Suazo’s brother, Carlos, described him as having a special talent for repairing and operating all kinds of machinery, and said that he dreamed of starting his own small business. “He was always so full of joy, and brought so much humor to our family,” Carlos Suazo said, noting that the family was planning to celebrate his brother’s next birthday on April 27.
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All but one of the eight men worked for Brawner Builders, a contractor based in Baltimore County, the company said. The missing men were immigrants from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico, according to consular authorities and the nonprofit.
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The president of Mexico said on Wednesday that two of missing men were Mexican citizens and that one of the people rescued was also a Mexican citizen.
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Guatemala’s foreign affairs ministry confirmed that two of the workers were Guatemalan nationals, from the regions of Petén and Chiquimula. The ministry, which did not release the names, said that the country’s consul general in Maryland had spoken with the siblings of the two workers and was hoping to meet with their families.
Kirsten Noyes contributed research.
