The collapse of the Baltimore bridge has been confirmed as a major incident with several vehicles plunging into the water. It happened around 01:30am local time (05:30 GMT) today (26 March) after a container ship hit the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.
According to reports, someone called 911 to report the incident, and the Baltimore City Fire Department confirmed that a large vessel struck the bridge, causing it to collapse into the river.
CCTV footage capturing the moment the bridge collapsed has gone viral on social media, drawing thousands of reposts and shares. The Baltimore City Fire Department has described the collapse as a ‘mass casualty event,’ with multiple individuals and vehicles falling into the river.
The Baltimore City Fire Department communications chief has mentioned the possibility of up to 20 workers falling into the water, although the exact number of casualties is yet to be confirmed.
Currently, multiple rescue agencies, led by the fire department and assisted by the US Coastguard, are at the scene conducting rescue operations. The vessel involved in the collision with the bridge is reported to be the Singapore-flagged Dali container ship, which measures 300 meters long and was en route to Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Data from ship tracking systems indicates that the Dali departed from the terminal at Port Breeze around 12:45am local time before becoming stationary near the Baltimore bridge about 45 minutes later.
The shipping company owning the Dali, Synergy Marine Group, confirmed to the BBC that there were no injuries among the ship’s crew. All crew members, including the two pilots onboard, have been safely accounted for.
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott has acknowledged the incident and is on his way to the scene. He urged residents to remain calm and assured them that emergency personnel are actively involved in the rescue efforts.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge, also known as the Key Bridge, spans the Patapsco River and forms part of the I-95 interstate, connecting Miami, Florida, to Maine.
