Probe: 90 seconds could have saved lives on bridge

SIX workers who died when a container ship struck a bridge in Maryland 20 months ago might have survived the disaster if they'd been alerted immediately, US safety officials said this week.

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One minute and 29 seconds elapsed between the time police were told to block bridge-bound traffic and the moment the bridge collapsed, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) officials said, as investigative findings were presented and endorsed at a public meeting.

Had they been notified at about the same time police were, “the highway workers may have had sufficient time to drive to a portion of the bridge that did not collapse,” officials said.