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STORY: Six road workers who were missing after a bridge collapsed in Baltimore Harbor are now presumed dead.

Authorities announced the news on Tuesday as they pulled dive teams out of search-and-rescue operations since conditions in the dark waters had become more risky.

State Police Colonel Roland Butler:

"The last thing we want to do is put divers in the water with changing currents, low temperatures, very poor visibility and so much metal and unknown objects in the water. All it takes is for one object to strike an individual, and all of a sudden we have a first responder trying to recover another first responder."

Eight workers were filling potholes on the Francis Scott Key Bridge around 1:30 am local time, when a massive cargo ship crippled by a power loss rammed into the structure.

The workers and vehicles on the bridge plunged into the water as a trestled section of the 1.6-mile bridge crumpled into the Patapsco River.

Two were pulled to safety, with one of them hospitalized.

But some 18 hours after the accident, officials said there was no hope of finding the missing six alive in the icy water.

Butler said authorities hoped to return divers to the water after sunrise on Wednesday to recover the workers' remains.

He also did not rule out the chance that there may have been other vehicles on the bridge that fell in the water.

"As unfortunate as it may be it is a distinct possibility. However, we don't have any information to support that at this point."

Officials credited the crew of the Singapore-flagged container ship, named Dali, for averting a potentially much worse disaster.

Maryland Governor Wes Moore said they reported the power failure before the impact, allowing officials to cut traffic off the bridge.

Moore said the Dali crew saved lives and called them "heroes".

The ship's manager said all 22 members were accounted for and uninjured.

Authorities say the bridge was up to code and suspect no foul play.

But the accident has forced the closure of one of the busiest ports on the U.S. Eastern Seaboard.

"I'm directing my team to move heaven and earth to reopen the port..."

President Joe Biden has pledged full federal support in response to the emergency.