The body of a fifth victim in the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, has been recovered.
Miguel Angel Luna Gonzalez was identified as the victim, per Unified Command salvage teams. The group, which is a joint effort by police, the coast guard and other government agencies, had had reports of a missing construction vehicleafter the bridge collapsed in March and notified the Maryland department of state police, per ABC News.
A 49-year-old husband and father of three, Gonzalez was from El Salvador but had lived in Maryland for more than 19 years, according to Casa, a group that provides critical services to immigrant and working-class families, and advocates for their rights.
Gonzalez’s recovery comes in the wake of salvage teams recovering the bodies of Alejandro Hernández Fuentes, 35, Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, 26, and Maynor Yasir Suazo-Sandoval, 38. A fourth victim was also recovered last month, but their name has not been released.
The major Maryland bridge, which was previously used by some 30,000 vehicles every day, collapsed on 26 March after a container ship collided with it in the early morning, sending a number of vehicles into the water.
Col Roland L Butler Jr, superintendent of Maryland’s state police, said in a statement that Gonzalez had been found in a red truck.
“We remain dedicated to the ongoing recovery operations while knowing behind each person lost in this tragedy lies a loving family,” he continued. “Along with our local, state and federal partners, we ask that everyone extend their deepest sympathies and support to the families during this difficult time.”
Both the FBI and US Coast Guard have opened a criminal investigation into the deadly collapse, with the former also looking into the events leading up to the ship colliding with the bridge.
Ships began moving back through the channel last month. The bridge collapse impacted thousands of not only commuters, but longshoremen, truckers and small business owners.
• This article was amended on 3 May 2024 to clarify that it was 30,000 vehicles a day that crossed the Francis Scott Key Bridge, not 30,000 people.
