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Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapses after being struck by ship, ‘mass casualty event’ declared


3 days ago 27
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A mass casualty event has been declared after a bridge in Baltimore, Md., was struck by a container ship Tuesday morning.

Horror footage shows the moment the Francis Scott Key Bridge crumbled after a vessel crashed into the central part of the structure.

The steel arches then instantly dismantled into the Patapsco River shortly before 1:30 a.m.

The Francis Scott Key Bridge crumbled into the Patapsco River after a vessel crashed into it shortly before 1:30 a.m. @sentdefender/X

It was unclear how many vehicles were on the 1.6 mile-long span but the Baltimore City Fire Department confirmed to that “at least seven people” were in the river.

Baltimore City Fire Department’s communications chief Kevin Cartwright has called the incident a “developing mass casualty event”.

“The dive and rescue team has arrived on scene to locate the individuals,” Cartwright said.

Cartwright said emergency services are now “trying to rescue and recover” people believed to have fallen into the water.

“This is a dire emergency,” he added.

The horror collapse was filmed and uploaded to a YouTube livestream video, which showed the structure collapsing into the water.

The US Coast Guard and the Maryland Transportation Authority confirmed the crash but provided no further details.

“All lanes closed both directions for incident on I-695 Key Bridge. Traffic is being detoured,” the Maryland Transportation Authority wrote on X.

The number of casualties is unclear at this time. @sentdefender/X

Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. said on X that, “Rescue efforts are underway. Please pray for those impacted.” 

The department said the surrounding body of water was filled with diesel.

The Singapore-flagged container ship, called Dali, had left Baltimore just after 1 a.m. and was heading for the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo, according to the maritime data platform, MarineTraffic.

Drivers were detoured after traffic was brought to a halt. @sentdefender/X

Multiple Coast Guard boats marked as search and rescue vessels were circling the vessel at around 3 a.m.

Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott wrote on X, “I’m aware of and en route to the incident at the Key Bridge. … Emergency personnel are on scene, and efforts are underway.”

A spokesperson from the Baltimore Police Department told NBC News that people were possibly in the river, however it is unclear how many.

“I can confirm at 1:35 a.m., Baltimore City police were notified of a partial bridge collapse, with workers possibly in the water, at the Francis Scott Key Bridge,” Detective Niki Fennoy said in a statement.

All lanes were closed in both directions following the horror incident, the Maryland Transportation Authority said.

The bridge, which is part of I-695, was built in 1977 and crosses into Baltimore’s harbor.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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