The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed around 1:40 a.m. Eastern time Tuesday after being hit by a cargo ship, with large parts of the bridge falling into the Patapsco River.
The Baltimore Fire Department has labeled the incident a mass casualty event. Rescuers were searching for several people, and vehicles were detected in the water.
Here’s what we know so far.
A Singapore-flagged vessel, the 948-foot Dali, crashed into the Key Bridge about 1:30 a.m. Eastern time, Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class Matthew West said in Baltimore.
Singapore’s Maritime Port Authority said Tuesday evening local time that it was investigating the collision and providing full cooperation to the U.S. Coast Guard. The authority, which regulates marine services in Singapore, confirmed that a Singapore-registered vessel struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge around 1:30 a.m. Eastern. There were 22 crew members on board during the collision, it said.
It is not clear why the collision led to the collapse. Officials said it was too early to provide further details.
Ian Firth, a British structural engineer and bridge designer, said in an interview Tuesday that the bridge had a lightweight support structure and appeared to have vessel protection devices in the water around it but that the objects were not adequate.
Baltimore authorities said rescue efforts were still underway Tuesday morning and that they were treating the incident as a potential mass casualty event.
There were likely multiple people on the bridge at the time of the collapse, Baltimore Fire Chief James Wallace told a news conference. He said two people have been removed from the water so far. One was uninjured and another was transported to a local trauma center in a very serious condition, he said.
Wallace said at least seven people were in the water. Kevin Cartwright, the Baltimore Fire Department’s director of communications, previously told The Washington Post that the number could be as high as 20 people.
Wallace said authorities were using subsurface search tools including sonar and underwater drones as well as marine and aerial support in the rescue efforts.
He added that frigid temperatures at the scene were making conditions difficult for rescuers.
Officials said commuters should use alternate harbor crossings via Interstate 95 and Interstate 895 and be aware of size and HAZMAT restrictions.
Singapore’s Maritime Port Authority said there were 22 crew members on board during the collision. Wallace said the crew was believed to still be on the vessel. The cargo ship is about 48 meters (157 feet) wide and 300 meters (984 feet) long and was built in 2015, according to MarineTraffic.com.
Jennifer Hassan contributed to this report.
