Divers have resumed their search to recover the bodies of six missing workers who are feared dead in icy waters after the tragic collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge.

The workers – two of which have been named – were filling potholes on the road surface before parts of the 2.57-kilometre span bridge crumpled and plunged into the Patapsco River after the Dali container ship crashed into it in the early hours of Tuesday, local time.

More than 18 hours after the Francis Scott Key Bridge fell at 1.30am on Tuesday (local time), US Coast Guard and Maryland State Police officials said there was little – if any chance – the missing could be found alive.

“Based on the length of time that we have gone on the search, the extensive search efforts that we have put in, [and] the water temperature, at this point we do not believe that we will find any of these individuals still alive,” Maryland Governor Wes Moore said.

Investigators from the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)  boarded the container ship on Wednesday and recovered its data recorder in an attempt to help determine the cause of why the container ship malfunctioned.

Interviews will also be conducted with crew members by NTSB officials.

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They will also examine if dirty fuel played its part in the power loss as contaminated fuel is said by marine experts to be a cause of ship blackouts.

Crew from the 289-metre, Singapore-flagged vessel Dali, which was heading out of Baltimore Harbour on its way to Sri Lanka, said it had lost power and issued a distress call moments before impact but could not change course in time to avoid crashing into the bridge.

Management company Synergy Marine said Dali had dropped anchors as part of emergency procedures before impact.

It’s believed police had stopped traffic and were about to advise the construction foreman to clear the bridge when the ship collided with the support pillar.

“By being able to stop cars from coming over the bridge, these people are heroes. They saved lives last night,” Governor Moore hailed the actions of the crew at a midday news briefing.

He said the recovery of the bodies was the ‘‘top priority’’ for officials, with air, land and water resources being devoted to the search.

“We’ve got to give these families closure,” Moore said. “My promise to them is this: I will devote every single resource to make sure that you receive closure.”

First two victim identities released

One of the missing has been named as father of three Miguel Luna, originally from El Salvador, who was working on the bridge at the time of the crash.

A second victim was Honduran citizen Maynor Suazo Sandoval, whose death was confirmed by his brother to NBC News, BBC reports.

Guatemalan and Mexican officials have also confirmed citizens are among the six missing.

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Baltimore is one of the busiest ports on the US eastern seaboard, with Governor Moore saying the economic impact of the incident will be felt across the US.

US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said closure of the busy shipping lanes until further notice would have a ‘‘major and protracted impact to supply chains’’ and particularly on automotive cargo as the Port of Baltimore transported more than 750,000 vehicles in 2022.

President Joe Biden has said the US government would cover the entire cost of rebuilding the bridge.

-with AAP, agencies