The 1.6-mile-long Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed early Tuesday morning after it was struck by a container ship, resulting in what authorities have described as “a mass casualty incident.”
Emergency responders, including dive teams, are searching for at least seven people believed to be in the frigid water, but that number could likely change, the Associated Press reported. Two people were rescued from the water; one person was unharmed while the second person was rushed to the hospital in serious condition, Baltimore Fire Chief James Wallace said.
“We are still very much in an active search and rescue posture at this point, and we will continue to be for some time,” Wallace said.
In a press conference Tuesday morning, Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld confirmed that contractors were working on the bridge at the time of the collapse, but did not say how many workers were believed to be on the bridge when it was struck by the container ship.
Video footage of the bridge collapse appeared to show the container ship striking one of the bridge’s supports.
BREAKING: Ship collides with Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, causing it to collapse pic.twitter.com/OcOrSjOCRn
— BNO News (@BNONews) March 26, 2024
The ship that struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge is chartered by the Danish shipping company Maersk, the company told CNN. The ship was carrying Maersk customers’ cargo, according to the company. The vessel, which is called Dali, was on its way to Sri Lanka.
“We are horrified by what has happened in Baltimore, and our thoughts are with all of those affected,” Maersk said in a statement.
Baltimore Police Chief Richard Worley added, “There is absolutely no indication that there’s any terrorism, that this was done on purpose.”
Another video of the collision and bridge collapse showed the ship’s lights going out before it hit the bridge.
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Breaking News: Mass Casualty event declared in the US after a ship slams into a Bridge
The full video can be seen here.
Developing story#Baltimore #USA #bridgecollapse pic.twitter.com/E5bWMovtjo
— Jim Ferguson (@JimFergusonUK) March 26, 2024
The Francis Scott Key Bridge is part of Interstate 695, also known as the Baltimore Beltway, and is a major crossing of the Patapsco River.
The White House said it is “closely monitoring” the bridge collapse, saying there is “no indication of any nefarious incident.”
This is a developing story; refresh the page for updates.