1 of 2 | A ship struck the bridge in Baltimore shortly before 1:30 a.m., causing it to collapse into the river below. The extent of the collapse wasn’t immediately clear. Photo courtesy Harford County MD Fire & EMS/Facebook
March 26 (UPI) — Authorities said six people were still unaccounted for after a cargo ship struck and collapsed the busy Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, early Tuesday morning.
Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul Widefield confirmed during a press conference that eight people were on the bridge when it collapsed.
Baltimore City Fire Department Chief James Wallace said earlier Tuesday that two people had been rescued with one of them in serious condition.
Widefield said all six of the people unaccounted for were part of a construction crew working on the bridge at the time of the collapse.
Video of the incident published online by the Harford County Volunteer Fire and EMS showed the large vessel striking the 1.6-mile-long, four-lane-wide Francis Scott Key Bridge. A fire is then ignited followed by spans of the structure falling into the waters below.
The Coast Guard said it had received a report of the incident shortly before 1:30 a.m.
“#USCG responding to Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore,” the U.S. Coast Guard Mid-Atlantic division said on X. “Multiple response units deployed.”
The Maryland Transportation Authority confirmed the collision on X, urging the public to avoid the I-695 southeast corridor.
“I-695 Key Bridge collapse due to ship strike,” it said. “Active scene.”
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said during a news conference Tuesday that a preliminary investigation pointed to the cause of the crash being “an accident.”
“We haven’t seen any credible evidence of a terrorist attack,” he said.
Moore said the ship’s crew issued a “mayday” before crashing into the bridge as they confirmed the ship lost power, noting the warning prevented traffic from flowing onto the bridge.
“We’re thankful that between the mayday and collapse that we had officials who were able to begin to stop the flow of traffic so more cars were not up on the bridge,” he said.
Widefield said that the crew working on the bridge at the time of the collapse was repairing potholes.
“That had nothing to do with a structural issue,” he said.
Moore also said the ship was “fully up to code.”
Moore declared a state of emergency while officials have closed traffic to the Port of Baltimore, one of the busiest ports in the world.
“My office is in close communication with U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski and the Baltimore Fire Department as emergency personnel are on the scene,” Moore said in a statement.
Buttigieg said he has offered the assistance of the Transportation Department. He urged local drivers to follow guidance on detours and other changes in traffic.
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said he was aware of the incident was en route to the scene.
The MarineTraffic website has identified the involved vessel as the Singapore-flagged cargo ship Dali. It said it was en route to Colombo, Sri Lanka, when the crash occurred.
Danish shipping company Maersk on Tuesday confirmed it chartered the ship that was carrying its cargo and operated by vessel company Synergy Group.
“No Maersk crew and personnel were onboard the vessel. We are closely following the investigations conducted by authorities and Synergy and we will do our utmost to keep our customers informed,” Maersk said.
“We are horrified by what has happened in Baltimore, and our thoughts are with all of those affected.”
The bridge first opened in March 1977 and is named after Francis Scott Key who is said to have written the lyrics to the “Star Spangled Banner” after being inspired by the Patapsco River, according to the Maryland Transportation Authority.
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