A video has emerged that shows the moment a large container ship struck Maryland’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing it to immediately collapse.
Rescue workers in Baltimore are working furiously in an attempt to save the lives of dozens of people who were plunged into the frigid waters of the Patapsco River when the bridge collapsed.
Authorities have declared that the collapse of the bridge is a “mass casualty event.”
Initial reports indicate that at least a dozen cars hit the 47-degree water.
Additionally, 20 or so construction workers who were working on the bridge at the time.
The workers were pouring concrete onto the bridge at the time of the crash.
At least two people were recovered from the water, Baltimore Fire Chief James Wallace told the media around 6:30 am local time.
One person is in a very serious condition in a local hospital and the other person is uninjured.
Wallace said that workers are looking for “upwards of seven” people.
Firefighters responded to the scene around 1:50 am.
The first 911 calls about the collapse came in around 1:40 am.
The rescue effort incorporates Coast Guard ships, local police boats, Baltimore’s Fire Department, and volunteer fire departments from the surrounding areas.
Teams of divers are also searching the waters as the desperate hunt for survivors goes on.
The effort is hampered due to the currents in the area, Wallace said.
There appeared to be an explosion on the container ship as it collided with the bridge.
Containers from the ship and diesel have been flooding into the water.
One of the vehicles that fell into the water from the bridge was a tractor-trailer.
The ship involved is the 948-foot-long Dali, a Singaporean-flagged container.
A photo from the tragedy at the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
*Double checked, actual photo of cargo ship. #francisscottkeybridge
Awaiting press conference around 7amET…. pic.twitter.com/QVyCnwtZ5h
— Kimberly Klacik (@kimKBaltimore) March 26, 2024
The vessel could be seen on ship tracking websites positioned stationary under the bridge following the crash.
It left Baltimore’s Seagirt Marine Terminal at 12:24 am.
At 1:25 am, it began to slow and diverted off of its course.
The astonishing moment when the bridge, which sits 180 feet above the river, completely collapsed was caught on camera.
The video shows lights going off on board just before the crash.
The ship appears to turn toward the bridge support before attempting to change direction at the last moment.
WATCH:
According to the ship’s owners, all crew members were accounted for with no injuries reported.
TradeWinds, a global shipping publication, added that the owners also said in a statement that: “There has been no pollution.”
The crew has remained on board the ship and is being questioned by members of the Coast Guard.
Multiple boats marked as Coast Guard search and rescue vessels were surrounding the ship around 3 am Eastern.
The Coast Guard later said that “multiple response units deployed for active search and rescue.”
Kevin Cartwright, director of communications for the Baltimore Fire Department, called the situation “a dire emergency.”
Gov. Wes Moore has declared a state of emergency in Maryland in order for local officials to access funds from the Biden administration.
The governor also said his office is in close contact with Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg.
Around 30,000 vehicles use the bridge, which is named for the writer of the Star Spangled Banner, every day.
The bridge opened in 1977.
“Our focus right now is trying to rescue and recover these people,” Cartwright said.
He said it’s too early to know how many people were affected but called the collapse a “developing mass casualty event.”
Cartwright said it appears there are “some cargo or retainers hanging from the bridge.”
The situation is creating unsafe and unstable conditions, he noted.
Emergency responders are operating cautiously as a result.
Hypothermia can occur when a person’s body temperature drops below 95 degrees.
In the wake of the collapse, structural engineer and bridge designer Ian Firth told the BBC that it appeared that the ship “strayed” to the side rather than going under the center of the bridge.
“But for whatever reason it must have strayed off and has hit the support.”
“The support is a very, relatively, flimsy structure when you look at it, it’s a kind of trestle structure with individual legs,” he added.
“So, the bridge has collapsed simply as a result of this very large impact force.”
In a separate interview with CNN, Cartwright said that structural engineers will need to study the condition of the bridge prior to the incident.
“This is a very devastating incident in which these individuals have encountered so our hearts go out to each and every one of them, and we will be working valiantly throughout the early morning to address this,” he said.
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