The Francis Scott Key Bridge along I-695 in Maryland, United States, collapsed into the Baltimore harbour early Tuesday morning following a cargo ship collision.
A live stream of the bridge seen on X appeared to show a cargo ship colliding with a support beam, causing the bridge to break and fall into the Patapsco River. Multiple vehicles were on the bridge at the time.
Speaking with The Associated Press around 3 a.m, the director of communications for the Baltimore Fire Department, Kevin Cartwright, said emergency crews were searching for at least 20 people believed to be in the water.
Transportation officials have described the incident as a mass casualty event. However, there was no specific number of deceased.
“Our focus right now is trying to rescue and recover these people,” Cartwright said, calling the collapse a “developing mass casualty event.”
It is believed that a Singapore-flagged cargo ship struck the heavily travelled bridge. The large vessel then caught fire before it sank.
The Maryland Transportation Authority said on social media that all lanes are closed in both directions and that traffic is being detoured. Later, it urged drivers to avoid the I-695 southeast corridor and use I-95 or I-895.
Mayor Brandon M. Scott and Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. confirmed that emergency personnel had responded and rescue efforts were underway.
Cartwright said agencies received 911 calls around 1:30 a.m. that a vessel travelling from Baltimore had struck the bridge, causing it to collapse.
“This is a dire emergency,” Cartwright added.
See the video below.
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