Baltimore's Key Bridge collapses after ship crash
A major bridge in Baltimore in the US state of Maryland has snapped and collapsed after a container ship collided with it early on Tuesday, sending a number of vehicles into the water, The Guardian reports.
The Baltimore fire department said it was searching for at least seven people believed to be in the water, after reports that a large vessel had crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
A video posted on X appeared to show the vessel striking one of the bridge’s central supports, causing much of the 2.6km bridge to give way as a number of vehicles fell into the Patapsco River below. The ship appeared to catch fire as part of the bridge appeared to collapse over it, sending plumes of thick, black smoke into the air.
“All lanes closed both directions for incident on I-695 Key Bridge. Traffic is being detoured,” the Maryland Transportation Authority posted on X. “I-695 Key Bridge collapse due to ship strike. Active scene,” it later added.
Calls to 911 had come in at about 1.30am, reporting a vessel travelling outbound from Baltimore that had struck a column on the bridge, causing it to collapse, said Kevin Cartwright, the director of communications for the Baltimore fire department. Several vehicles were on the bridge at the time, including one the size of a tractor-trailer.
