A container ship rammed into Francis Scott Key Bridge after reportedly losing power, sending several vehicles into the river below.
Video / NZ Herald / AP
A container ship has rammed into a major bridge in Baltimore, causing it to snap in a few places and plunge into the river below. Several vehicles fell into the chilly waters, and rescuers were initially searching for at least seven people.
Two people were pulled from the waters, one in serious condition, according to Baltimore Fire Chief James Wallace. He said authorities “may be looking for upwards of seven people” but he said that number could change. It was not clear if the two rescued were included in the seven.
The vessel appears to have crashed into one of the supports of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, according to a video posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. The ship caught fire, and thick, black smoke billowed out of it.
Up to 20 people went into Patapsco River after the bridge collapse, according to Baltimore City Fire Department communications chief.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland which crosses the Patapsco River has reportedly Collapsed within the last few minutes after being Struck by a Large Container Ship; a Mass Casualty Incident has been Declared with over a Dozen Cars and many Individuals said to… pic.twitter.com/SsPMU8Mjph
“All lanes closed both directions for incident on I-695 Key Bridge. Traffic is being detoured,” the Maryland Transportation Authority posted on X.
A US Coast Guard spokesperson told the New York Times a Singapore-flagged cargo ship, the Dali, had hit the Francis Scott Key Bridge at 1.27am Eastern time (6.27pm NZT). The Dali is 948-feet long, he said.
Mayor Brandon M Scott and Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. posted that emergency personnel were responding and rescue efforts were underway.
Emergency responders were searching for at least seven people believed to be in the water, Kevin Cartwright, director of communications for the Baltimore Fire Department, told the Associated Press at about 3am local time.
He said agencies received 911 calls at about 1.30am reporting a vessel travelling outbound from Baltimore had struck a column on the bridge, causing it to collapse. Multiple 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.
A vessel passes under the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore in 2012. A portion of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore has collapsed after a large boat collided with it, and multiple vehicles fell into the water. Authorities were trying to rescue at least seven people. Photo / AP
He said it’s too early to know how many people were affected but called the collapse a “developing mass casualty event”.
Cartwright said it appears there are “some cargo or retainers hanging from the bridge”, creating unsafe and unstable conditions and that emergency responders are operating cautiously as a result.
“This is a dire emergency,” he said.
Multiple videos shared on social media show a large cargo ship ramming into one of the bridge’s support pillars, causing a large section to crash into the Patapsco River.
A number of cars are shown in the videos to have been driving across the bridge at the time.
The bridge, which was opened in 1977, is named after Francis Scott Key, the author of the American national anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner.
Parts of the Francis Scott Key Bridge remain after a container ship collided with a support in Baltimore. Photo / AP
Synergy Marine Group, which owns the Dali, has released a statement saying all crew members, including two pilots on board, were accounted for and there were no injuries on the ship.
The statement confirmed that the vessel had collided with one of the pillars of the Francis Scott Key Bridge at around 1.30am local time.
The cause of the collision has yet to be determined, and the owners and the vessel’s managers are cooperating with the authorities, according to the statement.
Volunteer firefighters from Harford County, which lies to the northeast of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, are “assisting the Unified Command at the Baltimore Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse.”
A swift water team and a special operations team are among those assisting, the volunteer firefighters said on Twitter.
Low temperatures and poor visibility at the site of the bridge collapse “pose a concern” for rescue workers, who are searching for at least 20 people in the water.
Baltimore City Fire Department spokesman Kevin Cartwright said his firefighters were working with the US Coast Guard around the port, where temperatures have fallen to -1C.
“This happened at 1.30am with limited visibility so we are working aggressively, considering the environmental temperatures as well as the water temperatures to try and rescue and perhaps recover individuals,” Mr Cartwright told CNN.
“It feels like at least about 30 degrees [-1C] where I am. It could be slightly lower than that. And I’m sure that the water temperature is even colder ... And that can pose a concern and risk for our divers.”
Pete Buttigieg, the US Transportation Secretary, has offered federal support to Baltimore’s mayor and Maryland’s governor.
“I’ve spoken with Governor Moore and Mayor Scott to offer USDOT’s support following the vessel strike and collapse of the Francis Scott Key bridge,” he said on Twitter.
“Rescue efforts remain underway and drivers in the Baltimore area should follow local responder guidance on detours and response.”
