The 1.6-mile (2.57 km) long Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, collapsed in the early hours of Tuesday after a container ship hit it, and as many as twenty people may be in the water, officials said.
A live video posted on YouTube showed a ship hitting the bridge, after which several of its spans collapsed into the Patapsco River. Unverified videos posted on social media X also showed the impact and collapse. Reuters could not immediately verify the videos.
A bridge collapsed in the US state of Maryland after a ship collided with itThe 3 km long Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland collapsed into the water overnight after a cargo ship collided with it, Fox Baltimore reported on Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/d6xqmEFbXN
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) March 26, 2024
The Baltimore City Fire Department described the collapse as a mass-casualty incident and said workers were searching for twenty people in the river.
"We received several 911 calls at around 1:30 am, that a vessel struck the Key Bridge in Baltimore, causing the collapse. This is currently a mass casualty incident and we are searching for seven people who are in the river," Kevin Cartwright, director of communications for the Baltimore Fire Department told Reuters.
The Associated Press reported that multiple vehicles had fallen into the water.
Maersk takes responsibility
The Dali container vessel that collided on Tuesday with a bridge in Baltimore was chartered by shipping company Maersk MAERSKB.CO at the time of the accident, the Danish company said in a statement.
"We are horrified by what has happened in Baltimore, and our thoughts are with all of those affected," Maersk said.
The Dali was set to depart Baltimore early on Tuesday and arrive at Colombo on April 22, according to a schedule on Maersk's website.
The vessel is owned by Singapore's Grace Ocean Pte and managed by Synergy Marine Group, according to LSEG data.
Police reports on the incident
Baltimore police said they had been notified of the incident at 1:35 a.m. ET (535 GMT) on Tuesday.
MAJOR BALTIMORE TRAFFIC ALERT: AVOID I-695 southeast corridor. I-695 Key Bridge collapse due to ship strike. Active scene. Use I-95 or I-895. #baltraffic #mdtraffic
— MDTA (@TheMDTA) March 26, 2024
"All lanes closed in both directions for the incident on I-695 Key Bridge. Traffic is being detoured," the Maryland Transportation Authority said in a post on X.
It was not immediately clear if the Baltimore port operations were impacted due to the bridge collapse.
The port's private and public terminals handled 847,158 autos and light trucks in 2023, the most of any US port. The port also handles farm and construction machinery, sugar, gypsum and coal, according to a Maryland government website.
The Baltimore port did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment.
"I'm aware of and en route to the incident at the Key Bridge... Emergency personnel are on scene, and efforts are underway," Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott on X.
The bridge, named after Francis Scott Key, opened in 1977 and cost an estimated $60.3 million.