Mass casualties feared as Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge collapses
Following the collision, multiple vehicles fell into the water and the authorities said they are trying to rescue at least seven people
Video footage shows the moment the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed after it was struck by a large ship. | Photo: X/screengrab
A part of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, US, collapsed after a large boat collided with it in the early hours of Tuesday morning. It has been declared a mass casualty event.
Video footage shows the moment the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed after it was struck by a large ship. In the footage, the boat can be seen approaching the bridge and crashing into one of the piers. A large section of the bridge then crumples and falls into the Patapsco River.
The 1.6-mile, four-lane bridge extends over the Patapsco River and serves as the outermost crossing of the Baltimore harbor and an essential link of Interstate-695, or the Baltimore Beltway. Following the collision, multiple vehicles fell into the water. The authorities said they are trying to rescue at least seven people.
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 US Coast Guard and the Maryland Transportation Authority confirmed the crash but provided no further details.