Baltimore bridge collapses after being hit by ship

Photo: Steve Ruark Associated Press The collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge spans the Patapsco River southwest of Baltimore.

Aziz el Massassi – Agence France-Presse in Washington

06:38

• United States

A major bridge in Baltimore, on the east coast of the United States, collapsed early Tuesday morning after being struck by a ship, taking vehicles and around twenty people with it.

“We know there are up to 20 people in the Patapsco River right now, along with several vehicles,” Kevin Cartwright of the Baltimore Fire Department told CNN Television.< /p>

The Maryland State Transportation Authority (MTA) reported that a vessel struck the bridge.

“We were woken up by a kind of earthquake and a long, resounding crash,” said a local resident, whose windows overlook the bridge, quoted by CNN.

Spectacular surveillance video footage shows what appears to be a container ship hitting a pillar of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing it to fall into the river along with much of the structure's metal structure .

??????????? ? NEWS ALERT | #Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed after being hit by a container ship. pic.twitter.com/uGGQRqOY4e

— Cerfia (@CerfiaFR) March 26, 2024

We see lights that appear to be those of vehicles on the bridge, before it deforms and falls in pieces.

“We believe vehicles and possibly a tractor-trailer fell into the water,” Kevin Cartwight also told the daily Baltimore Sun, adding that “the “entire bridge” had collapsed.

A Baltimore police spokeswoman also told NBC that it was possible that people had fallen into the river.

“I can confirm that at 1:35 a.m. Baltimore City Police were notified of a partial collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, and that workers may be in the water said Niki Fennoy.

Crucial road axis

The 2.6 km-long, four-lane bridge spans the Patapsco River southwest of Baltimore, a major American industrial and port city, in the state of Maryland, about 60 kilometers north- eastern Washington.

It is located on a crucial north/south axis for transportation and the economy of the east coast of the United States. It is named after a local son, Francis Scott Key, who wrote the lyrics to the American national anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner.

All access to the bridge was blocked by a large deployment of police forces, noted an AFP journalist on site.

Shipping traffic tracking site MarineTraffic showed a Singapore-flagged container ship named Dali stopped under the bridge early Tuesday.

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott and Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. both said relief efforts were underway. “Pray for those affected,” Olszewski said on social network X.