BALTIMORE – Baltimore is facing a “mass casualty multi agency incident” after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed early Tuesday morning into the Patapsco River.
The bridge was struck by a large ship around 1:30 a.m.
The collapse was captured on video -- see above.
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Footage shows the Singaporean-flagged container ship, the Dali, approaching the bridge and crashing directly into one of the support columns. A large section of the bridge immediately crumples.
The U.S. Coast Guard says rescue crews are actively searching as multiple vehicles fell in the river. Rescuers were searching for at least seven people in the water.
Two people were rescued from the waters under the Francis Scott Key Bridge, one in serious condition, according to Baltimore Fire Chief James Wallace.
The ship caught fire, and thick, black smoke billowed out of it. Kevin Cartwright, director of communications for the Baltimore Fire Department told the Associated Press that some cargo appeared to be dangling from the bridge
“This is a dire emergency,” Cartwright told AP. “Our focus right now is trying to rescue and recover these people.”
The temperature in the river was about 47 degrees Fahrenheit in the early hours of Tuesday, according to a buoy that collects data for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
It’s unclear if there are any casualties at this time or what caused the ship to crash into the bridge.
Synergy Marine Group — which owns and manages the ship called the Dali — confirmed the vessel hit a pillar of the bridge at about 1:30 a.m. while two pilots were in control. It said all crew members, including the pilots, were accounted for and there are no reports of any injuries.
Sonar has indicated that there are vehicles in the water, where the temperature was about 47 degrees Fahrenheit in the early hours of Tuesday, according to a buoy that collects data for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore has declared a state of emergency. Mayor Brandon M. Scott and Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. posted that emergency personnel were responding and rescue efforts were underway.
The bridge had four lanes and was about one and a half miles long. It opened in 1977 and is named for the writer of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
It serves as the outermost crossing of the Baltimore Harbor and is an essential link of Interstate-695, or the Baltimore Beltway.
Maryland Transportation Authority says all traffic is being detoured.
A vessel by the name of Dali was headed from Baltimore to Colombo, Sri Lanka, as its final destination, according to Marine Traffic and Vessel Finder, AP said. The ship was flying under a Singapore flag, WTOP radio station reported, citing Petty Officer Matthew West from the Coast Guard in Baltimore.
In 2001, a freight train carrying hazardous materials derailed in a tunnel in downtown Baltimore and caught fire, spewing black smoke into surrounding neighborhoods and forcing officials to temporarily close all major roads into the city.
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This story has been corrected to reflect that the ship does not appear to have sunk.