Baltimore Key Bridge collapse: vehicles fall into water after being hit by ship
THE GUARDIAN
Mayor says rescue efforts are under way after cargo vessel crashed into Francis Scott Key Bridge, sending vehicles into water
A portion of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore has collapsed after a cargo ship collided with it early on Tuesday, sending multiple vehicles into the water.
At about 1.30am, a vessel crashed into the bridge, catching fire before sinking. A video posted on X appeared to show much of the 2.6km bridge giving way, as a number of vehicles fell into the water below.
“All lanes closed both directions for incident on I-695 Key Bridge. Traffic is being detoured,” the Maryland Transportation Authority posted on X.
Emergency responders were searching for at least seven people believed to be in the water, said Kevin Cartwright, the director of communications for the Baltimore fire department.
He said agencies had received 911 calls about 1.30am, reporting a vessel travelling outbound from Baltimore that had struck a column on the bridge, causing it to collapse. Several vehicles were on the bridge at the time, including one the size of a tractor-trailer.
“Our focus right now is trying to rescue and recover these people,” Cartwright said. He said it was too early to know how many people were affected but described the collapse as a “developing mass casualty event”.
Cartwright said it appeared that there were “some cargo or retainers hanging from the bridge”, creating unsafe and unstable conditions and complicating the rescue operation. “This is a dire emergency,” he said.
Matthew West, a petty officer first class for the coastguard in Baltimore, told the New York Times that the coastguard received a report of an impact at 1.27am ET. West said the Dali, a 948ft (29-metre) Singapore-flagged cargo ship, had hit the bridge, which is part of Interstate 695.
The Dali had left Baltimore at 1am and was heading for the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo, according to the maritime data platform MarineTraffic.
The Baltimore mayor, Brandon M Scott, and the county executive, Johnny Olszewski Jr, said emergency personnel were at the scene and rescue efforts were under way.
Associated Press contributed to this report
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