Baltimore bridge collapse: Two saved from river, search on for five others

The US city of Baltimore faced a major crisis on Tuesday after the Francis Scott Key Bridge partially collapsed due to a collision with a ship. At least 7 people are said to have fallen into the river

The Francis Scott Key Bridge in the United States city of Baltimore partially collapsed on Tuesday after being struck by a large vessel, leading to at least seven people and several vehicles falling into the Patapsco River. The incident took place during the pre-dawn hours.

According to the Baltimore Fire Chief James Wallace, two people have been rescued from the river so far. He said one was in serious condition and the other was not seriously injured.

Baltimore is a key US port city in the state of Maryland.

Confirming the incident, the Maryland Transportation Authority announced the closure of all lanes on the Key Bridge following the incident. Traffic is being detoured, an official post read on 'X' (formerly Twitter.) "Major Baltimore traffic alert: Avoid I-695 southeast corridor. I-695 Key Bridge collapsed due to a ship strike. Active scene. Use I-95 or I-895," a separate post on traffic instructions read.

 

#BREAKINGNEWS #maryland #baltimore #Keybridge collapses after contact with cargo ship pic.twitter.com/A1LmKwZxkX

— Hayward Jablomi (@HaywerdJablomi) March 26, 2024

Baltimore bridge collapse video surfaces online

A video of the incident caught on camera is also going viral on social media. The nearly 30-second video captures the moment a large vessel hit the bridge, causing it to collapse into the river. The impact also triggered a massive fire on the ship, the video showed.

The ship, reportedly a cargo vessel, is seen hitting one of the supporting pillars of the bridge, causing the accident.

Mayor Brandon M. Scott and Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr said that emergency personnel were responding and rescue efforts were underway.

'Developing mass casualty' event

As of now, at least five people are believed to have been struck underwater. The officials said that the rescue efforts were underway.

It was immediately unclear as to how many people had fallen into the river following the incident.

Kevin Cartwright, the director of communications for the Baltimore Fire Department, said that the collapse was a "developing mass casualty event."

This is a dire emergency, he said.

The Francis Scott Key Bridge opened in 1977.

(With inputs from agencies)